Lacson, Robredo, Pacquiao bare senatorial slates for 2022 elections
Presidential candidates Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Sen. Panfilo Lacson have all announced on Oct. 15 their senatorial lineup for the upcoming 2022 national elections.
The rest of the presidential candidates, including Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., have yet to reveal their senatorial slate.
They have until Nov. 15, the deadline of Comelec’s substitution of candidates, to complete their ticket.
Robredo-Pangilinan tandem bares senatorial lineup
In a joint press conference on Oct. 15, Vice President Leni Robredo and Sen. Francis Pangilinan announced their senatorial lineup for the 2022 polls.
Robredo is running for president as an independent candidate, while Pangilinan is running for vice president under the Liberal Party.
The tandem earlier announced an initial six names under their ticket, and identified five more during the briefing. These candidates come from across the political spectrum, with some being rivals in the past.
Opposition leader Robredo said that the choice of candidates is consistent with what she has been working on even before she has decided to run—“to unify as many people as possible coming from diverse backgrounds hindi lang sa pulitika, pero paminsan kahit sa paniniwala” and to fulfill the dream of those who want to be united.
Here are the following candidates joining their senatorial slate:
1. Former Ifugao representative Teddy Baguilat Jr. (Liberal Party)
2. Former vice president Jejomar Binay (United Nationalist Alliance)
3. Sen. Leila de Lima (Liberal Party)
4. Chel Diokno (Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino)
5. Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero (Nationalist People’s Coalition)
6. Sen. Richard Gordon (Bagumbayan VNP Movement)
7. Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Akbayan Party)
8. Author and poet Alex Lacson (Kapatiran Party)
9. Former senator Antonio Trillanes (Liberal Party)
10. Sen. Joel Villanueva (Independent)
11. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri (independent)
Among those in the list, the tandem will endorse guest candidates, including Binay, Escudero, Gordon, Villanueva and Zubiri.
As the 12th slot is yet to be filled, Robredo said they are still in the process of selecting among five nominees who will “best represent the marginalized sector.”
Among the nominees include Federation of Free Workers president, lawyer Sonny Matula and former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares, who trended on Twitter with the hashtag #WeWantNeri, as netizens clamored for her to included in Robredo's slate.
In a series of tweets, Colmenares explained that his non-inclusion in Robredo’s slate at the moment is the Vice President's prerogative and is based on what she thinks is best for the interest of her candidacy.
Vice President Leni Robredo’s decision on who to include in her senatorial slate is her prerogative as the Presidential candidate. My non-inclusion in her slate at this time is based on what she thinks is best for the interest of her candidacy. (1/5)
— Neri Colmenares (@ColmenaresPH) October 15, 2021
Pacquiao names 10 candidates in senatorial ticket
Meanwhile, senator and boxing icon Manny Pacquiao also announced his senatorial slate on Oct. 15, rounding up the list to 10 candidates.
Pacquiao is running for president with Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza for vice president, both of whom are under the PDP-Promdi Alliance.
In an interview with ANC’s Headstart, Pacquiao announced eight names, and added two more in the ticket toward the end of the day. All but one of the senatoriables in the list have experience in politics.
The following candidates are under the Pacquiao-Atienza senatorial slate:
1. Former Senate secretary and former Eastern Samar governor Lutgardo Barbo (PDP-Laban)
2. Former Vice President Jejomar Binay
3. Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares (Makabayan)
4. Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero
5. Sen. Richard Gordon
6. Labor rights leader Elmer Labog (Makabayan)
7. Antique Rep. Loren Legarda (Nationalist People's Coalition)
8. Broadcaster Raffy Tulfo (Independent)
9. Sen. Joel Villanueva
10. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri
Pacquiao said those in their slate are allowed to be guest candidates for other parties.
Lacson-Sotto tandem reveals 14-candidate senatorial slate
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is running for president, and Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, who is gunning for vice president, revealed in the afternoon of Oct. 15 their senatorial lineup, which consists of 14 candidates, even as there are only 12 seats up for grabs in the Senate.
They added that a “surprise candidate” will be revealed by Nov. 15.
Majority of the candidates that the tandem is supporting comes from the Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition and the rest are from different political groups.
Among those in the list have a long history in politics that have also been endorsed by Robredo and Pacquiao’s camps.
Here are the following senatoriables in their ticket:
1. Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero
2. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri
3. Sen. Joel Villanueva
4. Sen. Richard Gordon
5. Former Vice President Jejomar Binay
6. Antique Rep. Loren Legarda
7. Former ICT secretary Gregorio Honasan (Independent)
8. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition)
9. Former senator JV Ejercito (Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition)
10. Former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista (Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition)
11. Former Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol (Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition)
12. Department of Health adviser Minguita Padilla (Partido Reporma)
13. Former Makati Rep. Monsour del Rosario (Partido Reporma)
14. Media practitioner Paolo Capino (Partido Reporma)
With a total of 15 senatorial bets (including the “special candidate”) in their wing, the tandem is leaving to the Filipino people to choose who their “Magic 12” will be.