Lacson-Sotto tandem inclined to endorse 14 Senate bets in Eleksyon 2022

The tandem of Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III is inclined to have 14 candidates in their senatorial slate in Eleksyon 2022.

Lacson disclosed this during the Pandesal Forum on Thursday, explaining that they will leave it to the electorate to choose their final 12 senatorial bets on the day of the election.

“Ang initial plan namin is to adopt all 14 and we are only adopting them and we will campaign because we feel that they are the ones qualified to go to be elected as senators of the republic,” Lacson said.

The 14 candidates are from Partido Reporma, the party which he chairs; the Nationalist People’s Coalition, which is chaired by Sotto; and other political parties.

“Most of them are either incumbent senators or comebacking senators and these are our colleagues one time or the other,” he said.

“Sobra pero mabuti nang sobra kaysa kulang kulang. After all, this is democracy. Kung piliin man namin ang labing apat, at the end of the day, iwanan namin sa Filipino people sa electorate, kung sino ang pipiliin nilang labing dalawa,” he added.

(We have exceeded the ideal number but it is better to have more candidates. After all, this is democracy. If we endorse the 14 bets, we will leave it to the Filipino people, to the electorate, to choose their final 12.)

Lacson said he believes that all their senatoriables are qualified and aligned with their platforms and advocacies.

So far the following candidates are included in their senatorial slate:

• Sorsogon Gov. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero
• Antique Rep. Loren Legarda

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• Sen. Juan Miguel ‘MIgz’ Zubiri
• Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
• Sen. Joel Villanueva
• Sen. Richard Gordon
• Former Sen. JV Ejercito
• Former Makati Rep. Monsour Del Rosario
• Dr. Minguita Padilla

Lacson earlier bared talks with former Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and broadcaster Raffy Tulfo but the presidential aspirant did not mention them during the forum.

He said the list is not yet final as they are still waiting for November 15, the end of the period of substitution.

Lacson said they will also have a “surprise candidate.”

“Mayroon kaming surprise candidate pa…Locked in na. Ibig sabihin talgang sasama siya sa amin bilang isang candidate for the Senate,” he said.

(We have a surprise candidate. The agreement is already locked-in which means the candidate is already sure in joining our slate.) — RSJ, GMA News