MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor and presidential aspirant Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte on Sunday revealed the names of eight personalities he will be endorsing for the 2016 senatorial race.
He said lawmakers Martin Romualdez, Manny Pacquiao, ?Samuel Pagdilao and Roman Romulo are part of his senatorial lineup.
He also named former Sens. Panfilo Lacson and Miguel Zubiri, former Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino, and overseas Filipino workers' advocate Susan Ople.
The senatorial aspirants are from various political parties and are also being endorsed by other rivals in the presidential race, namely Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
Duterte said he will announce the remaining four candidates on or before December 10.
He also mentioned his choice was met with some opposition by his political party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which proclaimed him its standard-bearer on Monday.
"?May objections lang ang PDP, I don't know lang the dynamics sa leadership," Duterte said.
Duterte also reacted to the reported possibility of a tandem with Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. He said he has debt of gratitude with the Marcoses but maintained he is sticking with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
?"Tutulungan ko na lang si (I will help) Cayetano, for a simple reason that I have committed to him," he said.
The Duterte-Cayetano tandem was officially proclaimed by the PDP-Laban at the Century Park Hotel in Manila on Monday afternoon.
READ: PDP-Laban declares Duterte as standard-bearer