The Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) has revealed the names of some Cabinet members they are considering including in the party’s senatorial slate for the May 2022 national elections.
Melvin Matibag, PDP-Laban secretary general and a part of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi’s faction said the party’s initial list of senatorial bets include
- Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade,
- Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III,
- Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles,
- Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo
- Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar
- Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones,
- Presidenital Anti-Corruption Commission Greco Belgica,
- Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque
He said the party is also considering including Quirino governor Dax Cua, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gregorio Honasan II, and Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez in their shortlist.
Matibag said the party is vetting 20 names of at least potential senatorial candidates and is willing to include non-party members.
According to Matibag, Torres-Gomez and her husband, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, a former actor, has made a commitment to join the PDP-Laban slate.
It can be recalled that Senate President Vicente Sotto III announced that Torres-Gomez will join their senatorial ticket in the Nationalist Peoples’ Coalition (NPC) for the May 2022 elections.
Asked about the veracity of Matibag’s claim about Torres-Gomez’s inclusion in the PDP-Laban party’s list, Sotto said it would be “better to ask Lucy herself.”
“Because during our last conversation, she said that if she runs, she will join our group. I even asked her permission to tell the media,” Sotto said.
The PDP-Laban has nominated Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and President Duterte for president and vice president in next year’s polls.
As early as July, Duterte has been pushing members of his Cabinet to run for senator in the upcoming elections.