POE: ADVANCE FREEDOM, DIGNITY

With two weeks to go before the May 9 elections, Sen. Grace Poe urged voters to choose a leader that will not bring the Philippines back to the dark days of martial law, when thousands were killed and tortured.

"Mag-iingat tayo sapagkat 'yan ang ayaw nating balikan. Sa tingin ko malayo ang narating natin pagdating sa kalayaan ng paghahayag," Poe told reporters when asked if she was worried about Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's statement that he was open to declaring martial law if there is lawlessness.

According to Amnesty International, around 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed during the nine years of martial law declared on Sept. 21, 1972 and officially lifted on Jan. 7, 1981.

"Marami tayong problema sa kahirapan, marami tayong problema sa kaligtasan, pero hindi natin pwedeng isuko ang ating kalayaan na magsalita na hindi tayo takot sa ating bansa. Hindi natin dapat katakutan ang gobyerno. Dapat ang gobyerno ang matakot sa atin 'pag hindi ginagawa ang trabaho," Poe said.

The lone independent presidential candidate is back on the campaign trail after Sunday's PiliPinas Debate, the last of three presidential debates sponsored by the Commission on Elections.

From the University of Pangasinan in Dagupan City, where the final debate was held, Poe proceeded to Calasiao, Pangasinan to meet with hundreds of supporters.

"May dalawang linggo pa. Sa tingin ko doon na muna tayo nakatuon. Umpisa pa lang ito. Kailangan pa ang pag-iikot at maipamahagi ang mensahe," said Poe.

"Ang pinaka-importante sa lahat, kahit na anong partido ka, huwag na tayong bumalik sa dati na 'pag hindi nanalo gagantihan mo 'yung natalo," Poe said."Dapat pagkatapos ng eleksyon, magtrabaho na tayo ulit na iangat ang ating bansa. Huwag na tayong maghiwa-hiwalay dahil ayaw nating mag-umpisa sa zero."