1Sambayan reveals 6 nominees for president, vice president for 2022
MANILA, Philippines (Update 2, 6:10 p.m.) — Opposition coalition 1Sambayan unveiled on Independence Day six nominees for president and vice president for the 2022 elections.
The list includes some of the staunchest critics of President Rodrigo Duterte, like Vice President Leni Robredo, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Free Legal Assistance Group chairman Chel Diokno.
It also includes some moderates from Congress, namely Sen. Grace Poe, and Deputy Speakers Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Vilma Santos-Recto.
Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, one of the convenors of 1Sambayan, said more names may be added to the list.
After the announcement, however, Diokno, Poe and Santos-Recto signalled that they are not interested in running for president.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa patuloy na pagtitiwala ng ating mga kababayan. Ngunit wala akong planong tumakbo sa pagka-pangulo sa darating na eleksyon," said Poe, who ran for president in 2016 but lost to President Rodrigo Duterte.
(We're thankful for the continued trust of our people. But I do not have plans to run for president in the next elections.)
Santos-Recto also thanked 1Sambayan for considering her, but also stressed that she has no plans for next year's polls as she is still focused on attending to her constituency and legislative duties.
Diokno also said he is thankful for the nomination even if he "never aspired" to become president or vice president and that he is currently focused on the Free Legal Helpdesk.
Former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, another 1Sambayan convenor, said all of the six have agreed to abide by the coalition's process of selecting a lone presidential candidate for the opposition and will unite behind whoever this may be.
Noticeably absent from the list are Sen. Nancy Binay and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, who had previously been floated as potential presidential or vice presidential candidates of 1Sambayan.
Carpio explained that Binay and Moreno both asked them to exclude their names from the list of nominees for president and vice president.
Binay had said that she does not want to seek higher office in 2022, citing the hurt politics has caused her family, while Moreno stressed the need to continue to focus on the pandemic instead of politics.
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has also turned down a nomination by 1Sambayan, citing his conflicting stance with the coalition on the anti-terrorism law which he shepherded in the Senate.
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