MANILA - Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez said Tuesday she was open to running for senator in next year's elections.

"Yes open but it’s not like it’s part of a grand dream or a grand plan. I have been a legislator for 11 years, if I’m given the opportunity I know I can hit the ground running," she told ANC's Headstart.

Torres-Gomez is a member of ruling party PDP-Laban, which held a council meeting Monday and passed a resolution urging its chairman, President Rodrigo Duterte, to run for vice president next year.

• PDP-Laban national council votes to come up with resolution for Duterte's VP bid

The lawmaker said she had left the meeting before the resolution was passed.

"It is a party stand, I think they passed that resolution unanimously yesterday," she said.

Torres-Gomez, who has been vocal on social media on her stand in the West Philippine Sea issue, believes that the country should "play the long game" amid calls for aggression.

"There are people saying dapat lumaban tayo. Mahirap din magtapang-tapangan lang...We have to remember we have to play the long game. More than just fighting, it’s fighting to win," she said.

(There are people saying we should fight. But it's hard to pretend to be brave.)

"I’m all for asserting our sovereign rights using legal and diplomatic means...We’re talking about calls for aggression. We know what happened in 2012. We have a precedent. It’s not a sandbox fight in school, we can't touch China, 'China maninindigan kami ha (well take a stand) but control your retaliation.'"

Manila's 2016 victory against China in an arbitrary court is not just a "piece of paper" but it is also not a "resounding win," said Torres-Gomez.

"It’s not just a piece of paper because if u look at the arbitration award China has breached 19 provisions. It's a good record to have it's a win by a great measure," she said.

"I’m just saying it’s not a victory that is resplendent or resounding because did not achieve what we wanted which is for China to leave."

RETAIN ANTI-INSURGENCY FUND

The lawmaker said she was also against the proposed budget realignment of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) even after its officials red-tagged those who set up community pantries.

• Proposals to defund NTF-ELCAC 'knee-jerk' reaction, says solon

Some 800 barangays cleared of insurgency stand to lose P20 million each if the funds were realigned, Torres-Gomez said.

"The community pantries is a good program, it highlights the bayanihan spirit of the Filipinos...but the NTF-ELCAC is also a very good program. I’m coming from the perspective that peace is the foundation of programs," she said.

"In Leyte, which is really the haven of insurgents, a lot of barangays in different municipalities and cities have benefitted from this program."

Red-tagging should however be criminalized and NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade should be held accountable for his red-tagging remarks, Torres-Gomez added.

"That’s the reason why sometimes people in government have such a bad name, because there is lack of accountability," she said.

Torres-Gomez, who supports the Anti-Terror Law, said she does not believe it has made authorities more brazen in red-tagging.

• Fear of abuse 'not valid reason' to junk terror bill: Lucy Torres-Gomez

"That’s what the critics say I don’t agree. It’s easy to say it enables but if we go back to the Anti-Terror Law there is very long process. It involves a tedious process and Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson has explained it so many times and so well," she said.

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