Loren secures key PDP-Laban backing

MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Speaker and three-term senator Loren Legarda received a big boost in her quest for a Senate seat following the recent endorsement of ruling party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

PDP-Laban secretary general and newly-appointed Cabinet Secretary Melvin Matibag said in a statement that Legarda will form part of the party’s 12-man senatorial line-up.

The party “conveys to the Filipino voters its endorsement and support of Loren Legarda for her candidacy as senator this coming national elections in May,” he said.

The PDP-Laban statement sealed the earlier approval from President Duterte who expressed full support for her candidacy under the UniTeam Alliance.

“I give my endorsement and full support to former senator Loren Legarda as she runs for senator in the 2022 national elections. Even before she entered politics, former senator Legarda has shown great involvement in public service,” Duterte said in a video clip shared by Legarda on her social media page.

“I am heartened by the valuable endorsement of President Duterte’s PDP-Laban party on my pursuit of a Senate seat. It inspires me to further champion in the Senate the welfare of the marginalized and unrepresented Filipinos,” she said.

PDP-Laban formalized earlier the endorsement of Legarda through Resolution 25, series of 2022 that was adopted by the National Executive Committee on Feb. 26, 2022.

The resolution cited Legarda’s work in sponsoring laws on environment protection like the Clean Air Act, the Solid Waste Management Act, the Climate Change Act and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act.

The advocacies of Legarda form part of PDP-Laban’s 11-Point Agenda that provides the basis for the party’s support of those seeking elective positions in May.

Several groups, like the 1.2-million strong Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and various mayors’ leagues throughout the Philippines have also endorsed Legarda’s Senate comeback bid. Recent polls by leading survey outfits like Pulse Asia and OCTA Research show Legarda in the top two slots in terms of voter preference.