FIFTY-SIX lawmakers belonging to 39-member Party-List Coalition Foundation on Sunday said they wanted six of their current and former colleagues elected to the Senate and vowed to consolidate their resources to boost their chances of winning.
Cibac Rep. Sherwin Tugna, the coalition’s spokesman, said the senatorial candidates being endorsed were incumbent Reps. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (Lakas-CMD, Leyte), Sherwin Gatchalian (Nationalist People’s Coalition, Valenzuela) Samuel Pagdilao (ACT CIS Party-list) and Crescente Paez (Coop-Natco Party-list).
Former Reps. Joel Villanueva of Ciback and Risa Hontiveros of Akbayan are among the six that will be supported. Villanueva is also former Secretary of Tesda.
Tugna said the six candidates had been assured of solid support from the various party-list organizations that comprise their group.
He said the 39 party-list groups decided to form the Party-List Coalition Foundation to be active in campaigning for their anointed ones who share the same advocacies.
The official announcement of the coalition’s endorsement will be made on Tuesday, he said.
“I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow congressmen from the party-list groups for their support for my senatorial candidacy,” Romualdez said.
“I am very happy and honored that they have included me among those qualified and deserving of a seat in the Upper House.”
The coalition, which represents the marginalized sectors of society, said their endorsement of Romualdez is based on his proven track record in Congress and their confidence in the Leyte congressman’s sincerity and commitment to fight for their common causes in the Senate.
Romualdez, who is also the leader of the Independent Minority Bloc in Congress, was already in talks with the coalition congressmen to discuss their shared interests and advocacies.
The lawmaker, who is on his last term as congressman, has vowed to pursue reforms anchored on the government’s compassion for those who have less in life.
Romualdez is running for the Senate as a guest candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance. He has also been endorsed by presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte.