Makabayan bloc’s bet for the Senate Neri Colmenares expressed hope in winning in this year’s national elections at Tuesday’s grand rally at Plaza Miranda.
Running as part of the Team Galing at Puso, Colmenares asked the crowd if a poor man like himself could be a senator.
The crowd enthusiastically said “Yes.”
Here is a video of Neri’s speech and Makabayan’s send off of his campaign.
Bayan Muna congressman and senatorial aspirant Neri Javier Colmenares bared he was adopted by an aunt as a child because of his family’s poverty.
Speaking before thousands at yesterday’s Galing at Puso rally at Plaza Miranda in Manila, Colmenares said his father was a security guard and his mother a clerk.
He then asked the crowd if an adopted child from a poor family could be a senator, which responded with an enthusiastic “yes”.
Colmenares’ revelation was in obvious reference to his group’s standard bearer Grace Poe who some political camps want disqualified for being a foundling.
A highly regarded human rights lawyer with degrees from the Philippines’ best schools as well as a graduate degree from Australia’s University of Melbourne, it was easy to assume that Colmenares came from at least a middle class family.
He remains to be one of the poorest congressmen in his nine years at the House of Representatives, a distinction he proudly shares with fellow Makabayan bloc representatives.
In a Facebook post, journalist Dean Lacandazo shared that a tricycle driver once rushed for Colmenares as he was boarding a jeepney to shake his hand.
“Di ba Congressman adto han Bayan Muna? Makig-lamano unta ako. Kaupay ano, nagco-commute la hiya?” (He was the congressman of Bayan Muna right? I just wanted to shake hands with him. Isn’t it good that he commutes for transportation?), Lacandazo recounted.