Citizen's groups endorse Gordon-Bayani team
Tagged the two as the best candidates

The tandem of Bagumbayan Party's Sen. Richard Gordon and Bayani Fernando received a big boost last Friday when more than 20 sectoral and citizens' organizations banded together to endorse them for president and vice president, respectively.

To commemorate the Araw ng Kagitingan, the Bagumbayan tandem and the citizens' groups formally signed a covenant pledging to work together in transforming the government to create a truly prosperous, just and democratic society. The signing was held at Barbara's Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila.

"Sen. Gordon and Chairman Bayani are the most capable, among all the candidates, to effectively run the country and put it back to its place as Asia's No. 1." This was the general reason cited by the groups for supporting the two.

Among the sectoral and citizens' organizations who signed the covenant included: Alliance of All Health Organizations of the Nation (AAHON); United Filipino Seafarers (UFS); Christian Bishops and Ministers Association of the Philippines (CBMAP); Alternative Care for the Visually-Impaired; International Association of Safety Professionals; Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association (TODA); and National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS).

The Turismo Pilipinas Inc.; Airport Transport and Concessionaires Association (ATCAI); Manila Public School Teachers Association; Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity Diliman and Los Baños chapters; Multi-Tribal Movement in the Philippines, Inc.; WOW Philippines Foundation; Southern Tagalog Tourism; Cordillera Bodong Association; Alliance of Concerned Tarlaqueños for Peace and Progress, Philippine Sportsmen; Lawyers for Gordon and Bayani also showed support by signing the covenant.

Statements from some of the organizations who signed:

"The brothers of Upsilon Sigma Phi Diliman Chapter support fully the bid for presidency of our brother Dick Gordon and of his Vice President Bayani Fernando knowing that Dick Gordon and Bayani Fernando are the best candidates and should be the only candidates that should win in the May 10 presidential elections," said Paulo Marco Mapula, fraternity president said.

"Kami po ay narito upang ibigay ang aming suporta kay Senator Gordon at kay Chairman Bayani Fernando. Buong-puso po naming ibinibigay ang suporta namin sa kanilang dalawa," said AAHON, an umbrella organization of 35 organizations of health care providers.

"If there is somebody whose vision for tourism is consistent with what we believe, that is Sen. Dick Gordon. That is why we are giving our full support to Sen. Gordon and Chairman Bayani. We are representing all the practitioners in the trade within the country and outside the country. With Sen. Gordon as the next president, we firmly believe that the tourism programs will be so much better," Turismo Pilipinas said.

"Kami po ay buong puso na sumusuporta po sa kandidatura nina Sen. Gordon at Chairman Bayani Fernando. Ang gusto po namin ay tunay na pagbabago. Siguradong pagbabago na dala nina Sen. Gordon at VP Bayani Fernando. Kami po ay taos-puso o buong pwersa na sumusuporta sa tunay na pagbabago, Dito po kay Sen. Gordon po at Chairman Bayani," TODA, an organization with 8,000 members and operators in Manila, said.

"Pinapa-abot po namin ang aming full support sa buong partido po ni Sen. Gordon. Ang amin pong sinusuportahan ng buong-buo ay ang buong ticket po ni Sen. Gordon," said the Multi-Tribal Movement in the Philippines, Inc., which is composed of more than 10,000 Muslim associations nationwide, with more than 4-million members.

"If we want this country to be economically-stable, we have to focus on our maritime industry. Our sailor is number one in the world, we can also be number one in ship-building. It can only happen if we have a capable president. There is no other candidate here at present who has the track record and who is capable of delivering, Yung iba pinapangako pa lang, si Richard Gordon ginawa na. The maritime industry is giving its full support to Sen. Richard Gordon," United Filipino Seafarers said.

"President Gordon and Vice President Bayani are not friends of ours, but we heard about what they have done as senator and mayor. They are men that we can trust. They are men that say yes today and yes tomorrow and not yes or no tomorrow. They are men who will be looking after the welfare of the people of the Cordilleras and all over the Philippines. That is why as of this day we are making it public that the Cordillera Bodong Association and all its member organizations give their support to the presidency of President Gordon and Vice President Bayani," Cordillera Bodong Association said.

In response, Gordon and Fernando thanked the organizations' leaders and members.

"We thank you for your trust and support. Together we will transform the Philippines into a better nation," Gordon said.

The Bagumbayan standard-bearer said that he had sought the support of citizens' groups and sectoral organizations, instead of that of local politicians, because the goal of Bagumbayan is change, not "more of the same."