Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday said he is honored to still be part of the senatorial slate of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s ticket.
“I’d like to say, I am honored ot be part of the slate. Kilala ko sina (I’ve known) Sen. Lacson at (and) Sen. Sotto since time immemoria. I’ve worked with them, hand-in-hand, especially si SP,” Villanueva told reporters at the sidelines of the campaign sortie in Parañaque City.
“He knows how I work, and I also know how he works so I have very high respect for them. We call them the titans of the Senate, that’s why I’m honored and grateful,” added Villanueva, who is seeking a fresh term in the Senate in the upcoming May 2022 elections.
While he respects the decision of the Lacson-Sotto tandem to let go of other senatorial candidates in their slate, like fellow senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the lawmaker said he is happy to still be endorsed by the Lacson-Sotto tandem.
“Their decision with other candidates is not my call, but for me, I'm still here as a friend and ally and I’m happy that until now, they are still endorsing us,” he pointed out.
“I think there's one common denominator despite the fact there are bickerings...they have one common denominator and that is we need a TESDA man in the Senate because, at the end of the day, after this pandemic, the new normal problems that are created by the pandemic right now, new normal skills requirement, job requirements, the right training, are needed.
“The government has the right initiatives, and that’s where we are coming in,” Villanueva said.
So far, Villanueva assured, he is not endorsing any presidential and vice presidential candidate as what he had agreed upon with the Lacson-Sotto tandem.
“So far wala pa ho akong tinatayuan, hindi ko naman kino-close ang door but as I mentioned, at malinaw naman ang pag uusap namin sa lahat ng kandidato, walang direct endorsement, etc (I’m not standing on any stage, I’m not closing the door but as I mentioned, our agreement with all other candidates was clear, no direct endorsement),” he said.
“Tayo naman, host din tayo (Because we also host). If they go to Bulacan, for instance, pwede ko silang i-host (I can host them). Yun naman ang usapan namin. Importante dito malinaw naman ang communication lines at sa ngayon po very clear naman ang communication line namin (That’s what we agreed upon. What is important heere is to have a very clear communication line. And so far our communication line is clear),” the lawmaker stressed.
The Lacson-Sotto tandem earlier dropped Gatchalian, and senatorial candidate Herbert Bautista from their official senatorial line-up after the two reportedly endorsed the candidacies of presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. and vice presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.