3 FILCANS RUN FOR FEDERAL MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT NOMINATIONS IN ONTARIO RIDINGS

 

By Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired
Toronto-Canada
April 3, 2021
 


 

Albeit it is still unofficial, that is the "dropping of the writ" has not been issued yet in Canada, the federal election fever is almost rising and movements in political ridings are heating up amid the pandemic crisis. There are 3 electoral district ridings in Ontario that highly qualified Filipino Canadian personalities have indicated great interest in offering their credentials and advancing their specific determination to contest for elected posts. The solid conversations in the community were about the right and reasonable time to nominate and elect now the first Member of Parliament in Ontario who is of Filipino heritage.

The 3 candidates reported to be running for electoral riding nominations are two Filipino Canadians from the Liberal Party of Canada-LPC and 1 from the Conservative Party of Canada-CPC. Under the LPC, Paul Jonathan Saguil and Elizabeth R. Quinto are determinedly working towards being officially nominated for Members of Parliament in Brampton Centre and Kitchener South-Hespeler, respectively. Both Saguil and Quinto are Ontario-practicing solicitors and barristers. The other Filipino is Julius Tiangson, a two-time official Conservative MP candidate in Mississauga Centre ( 2015)and York Centre(2020) who is aspiring for the MP nomination for the second time in York Centre.



Elizabeth R. Quinto has declared her MP nomination candidacy for Kitchener South-Hespeler in Cambridge. Quinto professed to be a candidate with a commitment to listen. If elected, Quinto would be the first-ever Filipino Canadian Member of Parliament from Ontario and the first Filipino Canadian woman to be elected to the House of Commons. A holder of BA( Honours) in Political Science degree from the University of Waterloo, Elizabeth completed a law degree and passed the State of Michigan bar exams. She is also a solicitor, barrister, and notary public in Ontario. Quinto strongly advocates that "Filipino-Canadians need a voice in Parliament and women need a continued voice" in the House of Commons." She is solidly committed to "fighting for human rights and is concerned with the survivability of small businesses, accessible universal health care, and financial security". At 38 years old, she is a proud member of the LGBTQ21A+ community.



Filipino Canadian lawyer Paul Jonathan Saguil is seeking the federal Liberal MP nomination for Brampton Centre. Saguil and his family came to Canada from the Philippines in 1991 and settled in Brampton. He is a BA (Honours)- Philosophy degree graduate of York University and the Osgoode Hall Law School. A member of the Law Society of Ontario, Saguil is an award-winning lawyer who has defended minority rights before the Supreme Court of Canada. He is an openly proud gay 39-year old individual and solidly supports BIPOC and queer youths. Paul currently works for TD Bank Group where he leads sanctions and anti-corruption efforts that target child pornographers, human traffickers, and war criminals and is on the frontlines of fighting financial crime and sits on a number of boards and advisory groups. Paul's purposeful desire to continue helping the vulnerable, marginalized and minority sectors of society as a parliamentarian made him decide to enter the political arena under the Liberal Party of Canada banner.



Conservative Julius Tiangson has announced his candidacy for MP nomination. Currently, J. Tiangson is the president and CEO of Portico Group Holdings which is involved in wealth management, real estate development, mobile water desalination, and filtration technology. In his web page, J. Tiangson stated that "over the past 30 years he has led and founded businesses and non-profit organizations in Canada with a particular focus on capital raising and capacity building through leadership, staff and Board development. A committed citizen, Julius actively participates in community organizations and political engagement. His mantra of " Diversity is our beauty, Unity is our strength" coupled with his business development experience and advocacy work on behalf of the temporary foreign workers' program, new immigrants, and youth lead him to run anew as an MP nomination candidate for York Centre in Toronto.

Anyone or all the 3 Pinoys once chosen as nominees and elected successfully will make the close to 900,000 Canadian citizens and residents of Filipino ancestry proud and honoured. The Filipino Canadian community would have an apt reason to hope and expect that somebody from their heritage will be able to represent and articulate their unheard voices and to help meet the long-held aspiration and need of bridging the chasm of respect and recognition of the significant value of the Filipinos in this country. ( Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired)