Dela Cruz with B.C. Premier John Horgan. (Facebook)
Statement by defeated Surrey First council candidate Narima Dela Cruz
Challenges community detractors
“Patuloy po tayong magmamahal at magbibigay karangalan sa lahing Filipino.”
It is not the result that we had hoped and worked for but the Filipino community pulled together and delivered the votes for me, Tom Gill, and the Surrey First team. Sadly, our number is still not enough to contribute hugely to the teams’ combined effort to win. Other Surrey communities are way bigger in numbers and they made their choice and prevailed. That’s democracy and we respect it.
I believe my candidacy created positive attention to the community and to the overall characteristic of Surrey’s civic election. The 23,733 votes thay we got isn’t an easy feat and is an accomplishment.
Make no mistake, our very few non-supporters in the Filipino community who have long been insecured of what we had achieved through the years, and have cowardly done dirty tactics for years trying to discourage and distract me and my supporters but continuously fail, can never equal the accommplishments that we have reached so far. The fact is that they can never find faults at me and my unblemished community service record unlike the bad reputation and allegations on the people in the community that they chose to support and be allied with. I challenge them to try, for once, to do good things for the community, or contribute to mainstream society like we have done, and accomplish some mainstream recognition like we have, or put their name forward and see if they will get the same trust, confidence and support from the community, and the huge endorsements that I’ve got from many prominent people.
I remain proud to have ran with Surrey First, and I’d like to thank all my friends and supporters who have put their faith on me and believed in what we are capable of becoming. The love and support I have received from people who matter most to me is immeasurable and beyond compare. I encourage everyone to continue getting out, to get involved, and to make a difference in our community.
Patuloy po tayong magmamahal at magbibigay karangalan sa lahing Filipino.