Phillip Salvador vies for Senate seat

Film actor Phillip Salvador formalized his intent to run as a senator on Thursday, 3 October.

Salvador said his main platform will focus on the modernization of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines, as well as the rehabilitation of drug users.

"Palalakasin ko ang ating ahensiya ng pagpapatupad ng batas upang matiyak ang kaligtasan ng publiko tulad ng pagdadagdag ng budget para sa modernization ng ating kapulisan at kasundaluhan (I will strengthen our law enforcement agency to ensure public safety such as increasing the budget for the modernization of our police and military)," Salvador said.

"Susuportahan ang mga epektibong programa sa rehabilitasyon ng kabataan. Nais ko pong maibalik yung hindi na matatakot ang mga pamilya na nakakasiguro sila na makakarating ang kanilang mga anak sa kanilang mga bahay na hindi maki-kidnap, hindi magagahasa, hindi mapapatay (I will support effective youth rehabilitation programs. I want to bring back the time where families were not afraid that their children could go home safely without being kidnapped, raped, and killed)," he added.

While he supports rehabilitation of drug users, Salvador said he is also in favor of the war on drugs of former president of Rodrigo Duterte, who is under an international court investigation for alleged extrajudicial killings.

"Ako ay naniniwala sa ginawa niya kasi nakabuti po sa atin, pero ngayon po, ang sa akin naman, bigyan din natin ng pag-asang ma-rehab ang mga [drug] addicts (I believe that what he did was for the better of the Filipino people, but now, for me, let's give drug users a chance to be rehabilitated)," Salvador explained.

"Ayoko nang hinuli po at pinatay. Gusto kong bigyan sila ng pag-asa (I don't want arrest then kill. I want to give them a chance for hope)," he added.

Salvador will run under PDP Laban. In the 2016 local elections, Salvador ran for vice governor in Bulacan but lost.