6 original members, 6 guest bets in UNA Senate slate – source

MANILA, Philippines - A United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) insider revealed yesterday its senatorial slate for the 2016 polls led by boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.

The UNA lineup is composed of six original members and six guest candidates, according to the source.

Aside from Pacquiao, the other original UNA candidates are former Special Action Force chief retired police Director Getulio Napeñas, actress and Parañaque City councilor Alma Moreno, Princess Jacel Kiram of the Sulu Sultanate, veteran broadcaster Rey Langit and labor lawyer Allan Montaño.

The guest candidates include Sen. Vicente Sotto III, former senators Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.

The source said overseas Filipino workers’ advocate Susan Ople of the Nacionalista Party was also invited to be a guest candidate of UNA.

Ople earlier said she was still considering the offer.

“It’s already sure,” the source told The STAR, when asked about Ople’s inclusion in the UNA slate.

The source said UNA has no plans of holding a grand proclamation of its senatorial candidates.

“Nothing like that. There’ll be no press conference,” the source said, adding that the candidates will just join the party’s campaign sorties next year.