Alejano, Agot Isidro among possible candidates of ‘Resistance’ coalition
MANILA, Philippines — Liberal Party President Sen. Francis Pangilinan on Monday bared the possible candidates of the coalition that would be the “genuine opposition” in the 2019 midterm polls.
In an interview on ANC’s “Headstart,” Pangilinan named Sen. Bam Aquino, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, former Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez, LP Vice President for External Affairs Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada and De La Salle University College of Law Dean Jose Manuel Diokno as the potential candidates of the “Resistance” coalition.
Pangilinan added that actress Agot Isidro, who often criticizes the government and President Rodrigo Duterte, is being tapped to join the opposition line-up, citing the need for strong women.
“Of course, she’s hesitant but then we said, ‘we need more women to step up.’ She said, ‘you can consider it but let me think about it also.’ So we’re still convincing her,” he said.
Pangilinan is also not dismissing the possibility of having ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the coalition.
Defeated presidential candidate Mar Roxas declined the offer of LP to run again as a senator, Pangilinan said.
“We’ve discussed this with him, he said no. Although there are people who are still trying to convince him,” he said.
READ: Liberal Party wants Mar to return to Senate
‘Resistance’ coalition
The LP executive stressed that the “Resistance” coalition would be as “broad and inclusive as possible.”
Acknowledging that LP will need the help of other groups in forming an opposition coalition, Pangilinan said that the formerly dominant party is in talks with Akbayan, Magdalo, Tindig Pilipinas and Kaya Natin!
“Bottomline is the resistance to the encroachment of China in our sovereign waters, the resistance of extrajudicial killings, resistance to corruption, resistance to our lack of emphasis on creating jobs and addressing the rising prices of goods,” he said.
According to a Pulse Asia senatorial survey released last Month, Aquino was the lone opposition figure who has a statistical chance of making it to the top 12.
Political analyst Dennis Coronacion said it has historically been difficult for the opposition to form a line-up for the mid-term polls as “most candidates want to run in a part with the most resources.”
But Pangilinan remains optimistic that the coalition’s possible candidates will get seats in the upper chamber.
“It’s possible as long as the message is clear and the track record of our candidates is sterling,” he said.
READ: Popular Duterte, resource-rich PDP-Laban mean tough times for opposition in 2019
Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, the eldest daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, hints that she may run for Senate in next year's elections.
She says there's a 50-50 chance that she will run for a national position, possibly the Senate. She adds that she and her brother, former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., have already been going around the country.
The Ilocos Norte governor says the Marcos family is already discussing plans for next year's elections as her brother's electoral protest is "taking forever and ever."
Defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong has filed a poll protest after he lost to Leni Robredo by 263,473 votes in the May 2016 elections. — with a report from Romina Cabrera
Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. is withdrawing his bid for senator, he says on his Facebook page.
He says he is withdrawing because of health issues.
"I have recently undergone a percutaneous coronary intervention following the discovery of an unstable angina coronary disease earlier this week. In the days since the procedure, I have been forced to confront the reality of my physical situation and what it ultimately means for my aspirations to public service," he says.
Roque, a human rights lawyer before joining government, had initially said he was running as a party-list representative and would advocate passage of laws to protect the environment. Days later, he pushed through with filing a certificate of candidacy for senator.
The Commission on Elections released a preliminary list of aspirants for the 2019 midterm elections for possible correction of names.
The initial list included those who had been named in the poll body's law department petition to be declared nuisance candidates for senator.
"Hindi pa lahat yan, sure na pasok. For verification of accuracy lang yan - so that the candidates can correct misspellings or errors, if any," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said on Twitter.
Below is the tentative list of candidates for senator in the 2019 elections.