President Rodrigo Duterte is now finalizing the senatorial slate of the ruling party for next year’s elections, PDP-Laban vice president for Visayas Ben Evardone said.
In an interview with GMA News Online, the Eastern Samar governor said the lineup includes “reelectionists, returning senators, cabinet members, and prominent personalities.”
Initial list
The initial list includes Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II.
Also part of the pool of possible candidates are House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, former senator JV Ejercito, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benhur Abalos, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Greco Belgica, and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar.
Personalities such as Willie Revillame and Robin Padilla and broadcaster Raffy Tulfo were also among those being eyed for the senatorial slate, Evardone said.
Endorsement power
He said Duterte would personally campaign for candidates of PDP-Laban.
“President Duterte’s endorsement power is very potent because of his enormous popularity,” Evardone added.
On Saturday, the Duterte-led PDP-Laban ousted party president Senator Manny Pacquiao and elected Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi as his replacement.
Pacquiao and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, party executive vice chairman, called the meeting “illegal.”
‘Visit our headquarters first’
For his part, Pimentel lamented the faction within the ruling party that was founded by his father, the late Senate President Aquino Pimentel Jr.
“It’s really painful that those who joined the party five years ago are now doing this to us,” the younger Pimentel said.
“They have not even visited our very modest party headquarters,” he added.
Duterte on Saturday belittled the role of the Pimentels as founders of the PDP-Laban.
“[PDP-Laban] was sleeping until I ran for president [under the party.] It was a father-and-son party. They are not even well known in Cagayan de Oro where they are from. This is not an insult. It is the truth. They cannot win there, even just for a barangay captain race,” Duterte said.