KIKO PANGILINAN: MY CLOSENESS TO PRESIDENT AQUINO IS BASED ON A COMMON VISION FOR CHANGE AND GENUINE REFORMS

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan today says that his closeness to President Noynoy Aquino is based on their common vision for the country and therefore "ought to be viewed as a plus and not a minus in our bid to win the senate presidency and our desire to push for genuine change for our nation."

"If, as a people, we do not have a common vision, we will perish," he adds. "While we campaigned hard for the President, we did so because we wanted to help end the decades-old problems of corruption and poverty plaguing our nation. We wanted change to happen by electing a reformist President. This closeness therefore should be viewed as an asset and not a liability."

"In our desire to help solve the serious problems facing our nation, we must forge a working unity amongst our leaders and work together for change. In addition, for us to be able to face the challenges ahead, we urgently need to unite as a nation. Reforms cannot happen if we, as a people, are disunited and do not share a common vision."

"Moreover, my track record of independence as a senator speaks for itself. In 2007, we became the first incumbent senator to run and win as an independent candidate. We stood our ground despite the difficulties we had to endure because we believed it was the right thing to do at the time."

"I assure our colleagues in the senate and our people that while I firmly believe that the Senate ought to be supportive of President Noynoy's anti-corruption and anti-poverty campaign, it will never be subservient to Malacanang. We will be supportive but will never be subservient."