Third Pacquiao wants to sit in Congress

MANILA, Philippines — Another Pacquiao wants to be a lawmaker.

Alberto is aspiring to join his two brothers – boxing champion Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Sarangani Rep. Rogelio Pacquiao – in the legislature through the party-list system.

Alberto is the No. 1 nominee of OFW Family Club, which wants to share the constituency of ACTS-OFW, the group currently representing overseas Filipino workers in the House of Representatives.

At least 31 House members want to keep their seats through the party-list route, while several former members including Florencio Noel of An Waray, Carol Jane Lopez of Yacap and Jonathan dela Cruz of Abakada, are aiming for a comeback.

Another former member, Gina de Venecia, who represented the fourth district of Pangasinan, wishes to return to the House through the party-list route. She is the top nominee of new group Ina na Nagmamahal sa Anak. Her son Christopher is seeking reelection in their district.

After serving in the executive branch for many years as public works undersecretary, Romeo Momo Sr. is aiming to join the legislature to represent construction workers.

Momo tops the list of nominees of Construction Workers’ Solidarity.

Another former bureaucrat, Peter Laviña, wants to foray into lawmaking as representative of Hugpong Federal Movement of the Philippines.

Laviña was the election campaign spokesman of then Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who appointed him administrator of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) after winning the presidency.

In March last year, the President fired him on corruption allegations, which the former NIA chief denied.

Luntian, a new group associated with Senate President Vicente Sotto lll and Sen. Loren Legarda, is joining the party-list race. Its top nominees are journalist Michael Lim Ubac, Sotto’s daughter Ciara and Mons Romulo, daughter of former foreign affairs secretary Alberto Romulo, who now heads a government bank.

Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabayan (RAM) is competing with opposition group Magdalo to represent retired soldiers, policemen and their families.

RAM’s top nominee is the wife of retired brigadier general Danilo Lim, who is chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority. 

Magdalo leaders Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Rep. Gary Alejano are critics of President Duterte.

Narciso Santiago III, son of the late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, is aiming to follow his mother’s footsteps as a lawmaker. He is the top nominee of Sinag Tungo sa Kaunlaran.