MANILA, Philippines — Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan on Tuesday has revealed their senatorial lineup for the 2019 midterm elections.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez announced the senatorial candidates of the ruling party during the mass oathtaking of new PDP-Laban members in Caloocan City.
Among the senatorial bets of PDP-Laban are Senate President Koko Pimentel, former MMDA chair Francis Tolentino, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid "Dong" Mangudadatu, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, Davao Rep. Karlo Nograles, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and special assistant to the president Bong Go.
Pimentel's re-election is seen to face legal complications as senators are only allowed two consecutive terms.
The Senate president was only proclaimed senator in August 2011 following the resignation of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri over poll fraud allegation in the 2007 elections.
Pimentel earlier said that he could still run in 2019 as he only served one year and 10 months in his first term.
In October 2017, Pimentel had announced six potential senatorial candidates including himself, Tolentino, Nograles and Roman.
House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez appear to have been dropped from the ruling party's senatorial slate. — with a report from Marc Jayson Cayabyab