Malacañang is wishing the opposition coalition 1Sambayan good luck after it fielded its nominees for president and vice president in the 2022 elections.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque however observed the opposition coalition may face an uphill climb in the forthcoming elections after some of their picks declined their nominations.
"After the weekend, eh dalawa lang naman po yata ang tumanggap – si VP (Leni) Robredo at saka si dating Senador Sonny Trillanes (After the weekend, two have accepted, VP Robredo and Senator Sonny Trillanes)," Roque said over GMA 7's Unang Hirit Monday, June 14.
"So I wish them the best of luck, pero mukhang mahirap talaga ang kawsa ng 1Sambayanan kasi karamihan ng kanilang ni-nominate ay tumanggi ng nominasyon (but it seems the 1Sambayanan may find difficulty advancing its cause since majority of the nominees rejected the nomination)," he added.
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Over the weekend, the coalition led by retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio released a list of nominees for president and vice president in next year's elections.
The nominees included Robredo, Trillanes, Senator Grace Poe, Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, CIBAC party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva, and Atty. Chel Diokno. The potential candidates have been nominated not only for their winnability but also character, capability and track record, according to Carpio.
Some nominees appreciated the move but backed out of the nomination. Among those reportedly not interested are Poe, Recto and Poe.
1Sambayan later clarified that it was not expecting the nominees to make "firm decisions" to run in the upcoming elections.
“1Sambayan supports our nominees’ desire to think, weigh, and discern if it is truly their personal mission to be in positions of power. It is not an easy decision to make. After all, true servant leadership is a challenging vocation,” the group said.
READ: 1Sambayan on 4 nominees declining invitation: ‘No expectations’