About 1,000 Negrenses Saturday launched a movement to urge Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares to run for senator in 2016 and to call on Negrenses to support his bid.

The Negrenses, including Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, joined the launching of the "Neri Colmenaresfor Senator Movement" at the Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports Center.

Puentevella said it is time Negros Occidental elects one of its own for the Senate, after such a long time.

Colmenares, who grew up in Bacolod City, is the son of a security guard and a clerk at the Bacolod City council.

Lawyer Edmundo Manlapao said aside from putting "one of our own in the Senate," Colmenares will bring with him principled politics to the upper chamber.

He called on Negrenses to put Colmenares in the Senate because he is one who is truly deserving to be a senator.

Colmenares as a senator will be the spokesperson for the poor, the marginalized and Negrenses in the Senate, Manlapao said.

A battery of speakers also lauded Colmenares for championing the causes of the poor in Congress.

They pointed out that Colmenares authored the bill increasing Social Security System pensions that has passed the House and recently the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises.

His pending bills include those that seek the elimination of Value Added Tax on electricity, water and fuel, demand genuine agrarian reform, a P125 daily wage hike, job security, prohibition of privatization of public hospitals and public health services, the increase of income tax exemptions, anti dynasty law, and the Freedom of Information bill.

Colmenares, in reaction to the call for him to run for the Senate, said, "Much as I would like to accept unfortunately I cannot accept right now because one obstacle is I'm not rich,
I don't have the resources, I don't have the money.”

If ever he runs for Senate, he said he will need the support of the Makabayan bloc. Makabayan is a political coalition of 12 Philippine progressive parties.

Members of theMakabayan bloc will meet in the last week of August "to decide whether or not we will make a bid to the Senate," he said.

Colmenares said he is glad the Negrenses gathered at the BAYS Center were recognizing the value of the work he has done in the Lower House.

Colmenares said if he runs for the Senate and wins, the Makabayan bloc will have a senator who can follow counterpart measures in the Senate to those initiated in the Lower House.

He cited the need for a counterpart measure in the Senate to a move in the House for a P125 daily wage increase.*CPG

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