(Eagle News) — Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) Secretary General and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday urged Surigaonons not to vote for senators who oppose the federalism campaign of the government.
Alvarez told a crowd of some 6,000 local officials who took their oaths as new members of the ruling party to start listing the names of these individuals.
“And when the election comes in 2019, don’t vote for them,” Alvarez said.
He said that the federal form of government being pushed by the administration would empower the provinces and unleash their development potential.
More senators from Mindanao
During the event, Alvarez also announced that the ruling party wanted to have more candidates from Mindanao for its senatorial ticket.
The Speaker noted that so far, the Mindanaoans in the Senate were Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Miguel Zubiri, and Manny Pacquiao.
Pimentel, however, is up for re-election in 2019 and will lead the administration senatorial slate, Alvarez said.
Alvarez has already endorsed the candidacy of Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, and Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Sajid Mangudadatu.
He has said other possible candidates in the administration ticket were Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Rep. Reynaldo Umali, Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Alfredo Benitez, Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman, Communications Undersecretary Mocha Uson and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque.
Although Alvarez has said that he would try to convince Special Assistant to the President Bong Go to run., Go himself has denied he had any plans of running for a Senate seat.
Go said he was contented with serving President Duterte “until kingdom come.”