Presidential Aspirants To Endorse Common Senatorial Bets In 2022

Some presidential candidates will endorse common senatorial bets in the next year’s elections, several of whom are common bets, mostly reelectionist or former senators.

Based on the senatorial lineups released by Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson, former vice president Jejomar Binay, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senators Richard Gordon and Joel Villanueva, former senator and Sorsogon Gov. Francis “Chiz” Escudero will be some of their common bets.

Robredo, who has Liberal party president and Sen. Francis Pangilinan as her running mate, announced 11 names in her senatorial slate, which normally should have 12 members.

In a press conference in her Quezon City office on Friday, Oct. 15 with Pangilinan and LP stalwart Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Robredo said the five guest candidates will join  Alex Lacson of the Kapatiran Party; former senator Antonio Trillanes IV of Magdalo;  detained Sen. Leila de Lima; Sen. Risa Hontiveros; former Ifugao representative Teddy Baguilat of the LP; human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino in the senatorial ticket.

“Actually, the guest candidates we chose were among the very first who responded to our call for unity. Even if we have a long history of disagreeing with each other – I’ve never considered them as enemies,” Robredo said.

She added even if there have been disagreements, they are all willing to unite for their shared aspirations for the country.

Surprising was putting bitter foes Trillanes and Binay together. Trillanes led the months-long investigation in the Senate against the then vice president and presidential aspirant in 2015.

Pacquiao, who has House Deputy Speaker and Buhay party-list representative Lito Atienza as his vice presidential candidate, also announced his senatorial slate on Friday, including House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, broadcaster Raffy Tulfo, former Bayan Muna party-list representative Neri Colmenares, labor leader Elmer Labog, PDP-Laban stalwart Lutgardo Barbo along with Binay, Escudero, Gordon, Villanueva and Zubiri or 10 names so far.

Pacquiao told reporters that he chose the senatorial bets knowing they will put public welfare and interest above their own once elected.

Binay, Escudero, Gordon, Legarda, Villanueva, Zubiri are also included in the senatorial slate of the tandem of Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who are running for president and vice president, respectively.

Lacson announced on Thursday, Oct. 14, that also part of their lineup are former senator and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, former senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Dr. Minguita Padilla, former agriculture chief Manny Piñol, former Makati representative Monsour Del Rosario, Paolo Capino, and former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista.

“We can be sure that our candidates will be a great help for our country, our countrymen, and the Senate,” Sotto said.

Manila Mayor and Aksyon Demokratiko presidential candidate Isko Moreno has so far announced only three names: Muslim civic leader Samira Gutoc, radio personality Carl Balita, and lawyer Jopet Sison.

The PDP-Laban faction led by President Duterte last week announced its own senatorial slate led by former public works secretary Mark Villar, former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, former agrarian reform secretary John Castriciones, former anti-corruption chief Greco Belgica, Sagip partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, actor Robin Padilla, and Honasan.

Zubiri thanked all the parties that included him in their slates.

"I still remain an independent candidate. At the end of the day, my loyalty is to the people," Zubiri said in a statement.

With the exception of the Lacson-Sotto tandem, the political parties have not completed their respective 12-member slates. Pacquiao and other candidates said they are taking time as well as making space for those who they are still selecting.

They all still have until Nov. 15 to finalize their respective lineups based on the deadline set by the Commission on Elections for candidate substitution.

Asked if they have committed to support Robredo over the other presidential aspirants, Drilon – whom the Vice President tapped to manage the senatorial slate – said their agreement is that they will not endorse any candidate for president.

“Because of the pandemic, I don’t think there will be many instances of political rallies, where everybody will be on the stage,” he noted.

“Our agreement with the people that we talked to was, ‘All right, since we expect you to be guest candidates in many tickets, don’t endorse anyone. Yes, we will help you unite, but we would like to suggest that, at the minimum, you would not endorse any candidate for president, so that you will stay as a guest candidate of a number of parties or groupings,’” he added.

Binay also expressed gratitude to Robredo, Pacquiao and Lacson for including him in their respective slates.

"Our task is to rebuild our country and restore the dignity of every Filipino. The pandemic has made responding to this challenge even more urgent, and unity more compelling. We need to build the broadest unity possible for the sake of our children, grandchildren, and future generations,”  Binay said.

Diokno and Trillanes both welcomed their inclusion in Robredo’s slate, with the former senator saying he respects the results of the selection process.

PRP bets

Former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., meanwhile, is leading the senatorial lineup of People’s Reform Party (PRP), the political party founded by the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

PRP vice president Rey David said only Teodoro, who filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator in the May 2022 polls, has been confirmed in their list as the party’s vetting process continues.

“We are in the process of consolidating and strengthening the party and our lineup of candidates from the senatorial down to kagawad,” he said.

David said they were also expecting presidential spokesman Harry Roque to join Teodoro in the party’s Senate slate as a substitute candidate. Roque did not file a COC for the May 2022 polls.

Last week, the PRP inducted as new members presidential adviser Leoncio Evasco Jr. and Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez, a member of the Hugpong Para Kay Sara group that is pushing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to run for president.

Following earlier meetings of Teodoro with the presidential daughter in Davao City, the transfer of Evasco and Ramirez to PRP triggered speculations that Duterte-Carpio would possibly run for president.

The political parties have until Nov. 15 to finalize their respective lineups based on the deadline set by the Commission on Elections for candidate substitution. – With Edu Punay