Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III believes that the 10 possible senatorial candidates that he and Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson will endorse for next year's elections are among the most qualified personalities that should be given a seat in the upper chamber.
In an online interview Thursday, July 22, the Senate chief explained how their upcoming tandem decided on their initial lineup for the 2022 senatorial race.
"Iyon 'yong napag-usapan namin ni Sen. Lacson na gusto naming maging mga senador, or bumalik sa Senado, na alam naming mga magiging mabuti, hindi lang para sa Senado kundi para sa bayan. At sila 'yong mga gusto naming i-endorse (Those are the people that Sen. Lacson and I wanted to be elected as senators or to return in the Senate, that we know will be good not only for the Senate but also for the country. And we want to endorse them)," Sotto told reporters.
"Sa tingin namin, sila 'yong may mga karapatan, sila' yong may mga K, na bumalik sa Senado or makasama sa Senado na makakatulong para gagawa ng mabuti para sa bansa (We think their are the ones who are qualified to come back or be in the Senate to help craft measures that would benefit the country)," he added.
Lacson and Sotto will run in tandem next year for president and vice president, respectively.
On Wednesday, July 21, Sotto bared the names that he and Lacson may endorse in the elections. They were:
Former senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito;
Sorsogon Governor Francis "Chiz" Escudero;
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian;
Sen. Richard Gordon;
Information and Communcations Technology Secretary Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan;
Former Commission on Elections commissioner Goyo Larrazabal;
Antique Representative Loren Legarda;
Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez;
Sen. Joel Villanueva; and
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri.
Sotto said that he and Lacson are still considering five other names to complete their tandem's "Magic 12", including a "big gun", who he will meet on Saturday, July 24.
He, however, said the list is still "fluid", as some of the potential candidates have yet to make up their minds on which post to run for.
The long-time lawmaker also said they do not any see problem if the candidates that they will endorse will also be listed in the senatorial slate of other political parties.
Torres-Gomez, for instance, is a member of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which, on the other hand, pushes President Duterte to run for vice president.
Sotto said he was told that the congresswoman is "inclined" to support "most" of their proposed legislation and programs for the government.
The PDP-Laban was also reported as considering Honasan, Ejercito, Zubiri and Legarda for its Senate lineup.
"Kung gusto silang i-adopt ng partido, okay lang, walang problema (If other parties would want to adopt them, it's okay, no problem). The more, the better for them, but then again there are those who rather stay in the line-up lang, the Lacson-Sotto lineup, it's up to them," Sotto said.
As for the Nationalist People's Coalition, which he chairs, Sotto said he will first consult his partymates in the general meeting on July 28 about his planned candidacy with Lacson, and their proposed senatorial slate.