Binay eyes completing Senate slate by mid-2015

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay aims to complete the senatorial lineup of his new party by the middle of next year.

 He said they have learned their lesson in 2013 when the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), a coalition of his former political party, the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino failed to complete its senatorial slate.

“That is why this early, we are considering who will be our potential candidates and who are those interested to run under our party,” he said. “We lacked time to complete our senatorial slate in 2013. That was a lesson we learned from that experience.”

Binay has so far named boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as among those running for senator under his party.

He said they are reaching out and looking for other possible candidates.

Binay had cut his ties with PDP-Laban, saying that he felt they are getting “dysfunctional.”