Sen. Francis Pangilinan said Tuesday he was considering running for reelection in the 2022 elections to continue championing the rights of farmers and fisherfolk in the chamber.
Pangilinan, who currently serves as president of the Liberal Party, is eligible for one more term in the Senate, as he is just on his first term on his second round in the chamber. He previously served as senator from 2001 to 2013.
"Nakita ko na marami pa rin challenges sa agriculture sector, lalo na ngayon sa COVID and the need for food security, all the more," he told reporters in a virtual interview on Tuesday.
"We hope we can continue to champion agriculture, the plight and the cause of the farmers and the fisherfolk, and rural development," he said.
Pangilinan said the country could end its poverty cycle if the agriculture and fisheries sector, which provides food to Filipinos, is modernized.
"We will never reach developed nation status unless we address, modernize and up the income of our farmers and fisherfolk. And we will never achieve addressing hunger when those who produce our food and those who catch our fish are unable to feed themselves," he said.
Pangilinan stressed the need for unity among those who could provide solutions to the country's problems, whether they belong to the opposition or not.
He said the Liberal Party istapping several politicians, including Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Sen. Ping Lacson, for the "biggest unity possible" for 2022 elections. Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno is also welcome to join the Liberal Party's slate, he added.
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