More reelectionist senators join De Lima, Trillanes in Leni’s senate line-up
(Eagle News) – Vice-President Leni Robredo bared the 11 names in her senatorial slate in a press briefing on Friday, Oct. 15, which included Senator Richard Gordon, five other reelectionist senators, and former Vice-President Jejomar Binay.
Robredo, who is running as an independent presidential bet in 2022, gave six new names on Friday who will run alongside the five initial bets she had announced last week as part of her senate lineup. Four of the six new names announced on Friday were reelectionist senators Gordon, Miguel Zubiri, Chiz Escudero, and Joel Villanueva. Reelectionist Senators Risa Hontiveros and Laila De Lima were earlier named by Robredo in her senate slate last week.
Robredo also added Binay who had served as the country’s vice-president during the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III from 2010 to 2016.
Last week, she also named former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, as part of her senate slate. On Friday, she said that Trillanes represented her anti-corruption drive and would defend policies affecting the West Philippine Sea.
She also praised De Lima on Friday, saying that the only reason she is still in jail was because she had criticized early on the Duterte administration’s drug war campaign.
“Karangalan ko na mapabilang sa hanay natin si Senator Leila,” Robredo said.
The three others in her senatorial slate are the following: human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, and lawyer and NGO leader Alex Lacson. Diokno and Baguilat were among the five initial “senatoriables” announced last week by Robredo.
During her press briefing on Friday, Oct. 15, Robredo reiterated that she decided to run as an independent instead of as the Liberal Party standard bearer so she could be “more inclusive” and unite various groups.
Robredo, who is the chairman of the Liberal Party, said her goal was to unify as many people from diverse sectors as possible. She claimed that this was the reason she engaged in “unity talks” with various other aspirants for the presidency. These talks however failed and these candidates — Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao — also filed their own separate presidential bids.
Robredo’s running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan, the president of the Liberal Party, addressing criticisms being hurled against the Vice-President, said it would be better if all would unite to fight the common enemy, COVID-19, instead of commenting on Robredo’s decision to run as an independent.
On Friday, Robredo also announced that Senator Franklin Drilon would manage her senatorial slate, and would no longer run for a senate seat.
The vice-president said she would soon announce her 12th senatorial candidate.
(Eagle News Service)
