Admin finalizes Senate 2025 bets

MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the country’s largest political parties gathered on Monday at the Aguado Residence at Malacañang to finalize the administration coalition’s 12-person senatorial lineup and formulate a strategy for the 2025 midterm elections.

The gathering brought together leaders from President Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP) and National Unity Party (NUP).

Discussed at the talks was the formation of the administration’s Senate slate for 2025.

Former Senate president Tito Sotto III leads the four-person bloc from the NPC. He is joined by former senator Panfilo Lacson, reelectionist Sen. Lito Lapid and Makati City Mayor Abby Binay.

The three from the NP bloc are reelectionist Senators Imee Marcos and Pia Cayetano, and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, who will be swapping posts with her mother, Sen. Cynthia Villar who is reportedly eyeing the mayor’s post in their home city.

Three candidates from Marcos’ PFP have also been named: reelectionist Sen. Francis Tolentino, returning senator Manny Pacquiao and Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos.

There will also be two from the ruling Lakas-CMD party, the country’s most dominant party, re-electionist Senator Bong Revilla and Rep. Erwin Tulfo of party-list ACT-CIS, a former broadcast journalist and DSWD chief.

“We are not just allies in name. We are united by a shared purpose – to serve our nation with integrity, strength and unwavering resolve,” Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, president of the ruling Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) party whose membership in the House of Representatives reached 103, said.

“Our unity is our strength, and today, we solidify that bond to ensure that our vision for a better Philippines will continue to be realized. We are here not only to support the programs and projects of President Marcos but also to help realize his vision of unity towards lasting peace and prosperity for all. The challenges we face require a coalition that is not only strong but also harmonious,” Romauldez, first cousin of President Marcos who had already forged an alliance with the latter’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), added.

The House leader, along with PFP executive vice president Antonio Lagdameo Jr., who is also Special Assistant to the President, met the nation’s top political leaders and convened a meeting last Monday evening at the Aguado residence in Malacañang to unify and strengthen the administration party.

They emphasized the need to prevent internal conflicts among politicians and maintain the incumbents’ equity, ensuring that each party’s interests are protected as they work together in pursuit of this shared vision.

Romualdez led the discussions with a clear focus on fostering unity, preventing internal conflicts and ensuring that the coalition’s strategy for the May 2025 midterm polls is both cohesive and effective.

“This is more than just a strategic planning session; it is a declaration of our shared commitment to the Filipino people,” the Speaker declared.

The formidable alliance is between and among Lakas-CMD of Romualdez, Nationalist People’s Coalition of the late tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., Nacionalista Party of former Senate president Manny Villar and the National Unity Party.

Under Marcos’ leadership and guidance, the meeting marked the first gathering of key leaders from the country’s major political parties, now united under the banner of “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.”

Representing the PFP were Lagdameo and its president, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo; the NP, Sen. Mark Villar and Reps. Ferjenel Biron (Iloilo’s fourth district) and Yevgeny Emano (Misamis Oriental’s second district); the NPC, its chairman, former Senate president Vicente Sotto III and its secretary-general, Presidential Legislative Liaison Office head Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza, himself a former congressman from Batangas; the NUP, its president and Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte and its secretary-general and Bataan 2nd District Rep. Albert Raymond Garcia.

As the meeting concluded, the leaders reiterated their commitment to the alliance, recognizing that their unity is essential in navigating the challenges ahead and realizing the administration’s vision.

“This is just the beginning,” Romualdez declared.

“As we move forward, we will continue to strengthen our coalition, refine our strategies and ensure that our vision for a new Philippines is realized in every corner of the nation,” he ended.