LP senators to lead admin ticket; UNA to announce bets

MANILA, Philippines - Senators belonging to the ruling Liberal Party (LP) will lead the administration senatorial ticket for the 2016 election, while the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is expected to announce its senatorial and vice presidential candidates on Sept. 30.

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice of LP said yesterday that those sure to land slots in the slate are Senate President Franklin Drilon and Sens. Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona lll, who are seeking reelection, and former senator Francis Pangilinan.

He hesitated to give more names, saying Drilon, who is LP chairman, and other party leaders might get mad at him.

Meanwhile, UNA president Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco on Tuesday said a September deadline has been set for selecting Vice President Jejomar Binay’s running mate.

At least five prominent persons are in the list of the UNA selection committee, but Tiangco refused to name them.

“I have to be very consistent with the statement that the next announcement on the vice presidential bet would be the official announcement of UNA,” he said.

When pressed for more names, Erice said Sen. Serge Osmeña lll, who is an independent, is likely to be in the administration ticket.

“Sen. Serge is an advocate and supporter of tuwid na daan (straight path), despite his criticisms of the administration. That’s typical of him,” he said.

The other names he rattled off included those of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, former energy secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority chief Mark Lapid, former Pangasinan representative Rachel Arenas, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority chief Joel Villanueva.

Tiangco said UNA remains in talks with other political parties, including former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino, for a possible coalition to strengthen its position in the polls.

Among those reportedly being considered as Binay’s running mate are Sens. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Erice did not mention former senator Panfilo Lacson, who is either first or second in senatorial surveys and is likely to seek a Senate seat under the administration ticket.

Villar belongs to the Nacionalista Party, which is headed by his father, former senator Manuel Villar Jr.

Lapid’s father is incumbent Sen. Lito Lapid, who is reportedly planning to run for mayor of Angeles City.

Arenas is the daughter of Pangasinan Rep. Rose Marie Arenas.

Villanueva has been included in the third batch of former and incumbent lawmakers the Department of Justice has charged before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly misusing their pork barrel funds.

He said some LP members who wanted to ease him out of the Cabinet and the administration senatorial slate were behind his inclusion.

Erice said outgoing Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, the administration’s presidential candidate, plans to meet with more members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and other political parties.

He said Roxas’ breakfast meeting with 11 NPC members on Tuesday was “just the start of a series of consultations with our allies.”– With Marvin Sy