Vice presidential aspirant and Lakas-CMD chairperson Mayor Sara Duterte named on Tuesday, Dec. 14 six senatorial candidates who will get her support in the 2022 national elections.
They are People’s Reform Party bets Harry Roque and Gilbert Teodoro; former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista; Deputy Speaker and Antique Rep. Loren Legarda; Nacionalista Party bet Mark Villar and Pwersa ng Masa president Jinggoy Estrada.
Her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, has been named earlier as her Senate bet and is expected to be a shoo-in in the UniTeam list which she and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. are expected to endorse.
“Wala na pa pong senatorial slate ang UniTeam dahil hindi pa po nag-aanounce si Bongbong Marcos (UniTeam does not have a senatorial slate yet because Bongbong Marcos has not yet made any announcement.), ” Mayor Duterte said.
“Meron po akong mga kaibigan senator na dala-dala ko na sila dahil kaibigan ko naman sila (I have senator friends whom I will support because they are my friends.)” she added before introducing them.
If Mayor Duterte’s list is adopted by the UniTeam, there will only be five senatorial bets left for Marcos to nominate, unless the coalition decides to endorse more than the available Senate seats to be contested in 2022.
It will be recalled that in 2019 Mayor Duterte, chairperson of Davao region part Hugpong ng Pagbabago, campaigned for 13 senatorial candidates. Nine of the endorsed bets won.
Earlier, a UniTeam source disclosed that the coalition of four political parties, composed of the PFP, Lakas-CMD, PMP and Hugpong ng Pagbabago - will announce soon eight senatorial hopeful in the list of candidates it will support.
Among them are former Sen. JV Ejercito, lawyer Larry Gadon of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan; broadcast journalist Raffy Tulfo; Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta; Sorsogon Governor Francis Escudero, Roque, Legarda, Villar and Estrada.
Although not mentioned by the source, President Duterte is already expected to be included in the UniTeam list.
Adding up all the senatorial bets disclosed by Duterte and the UniTeam source the following bets will likely share the stage with Marcos and the Davao City mayor when campaign season officially starts next year: President Duterte, Estrada, Ejercito, Gadon, Tulfo, Marcoleta, Escudero, Roque, Legarda, Villar, Teodoro and Villar.