Pichay, Mike gear up for Senate race; Recto coy

Two administration officials formally declared Friday their senatorial bids under the administration's "unity ticket" even as Speaker Jose de Venecia said Malacanang's 12-man senatorial ticket has yet to be finalized. Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay ended weeks of speculation and announced that he has decided to join the senatorial race. Pichay said he would have wanted to stay out of the contest but "public demands" forced him to reconsider his decision. Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor, on the other hand, resigned from his post and formally announced he would seek a Senate seat in the May 14 elections. Defensor would be replaced by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, whose appointment was announced by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday. He expressed confidence that the administration has the upper hand in the elections because of its political machinery. In contrast, Pichay claimed that the opposition has no candidates in 80 percent of the local level. Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, who recently declared that he would seek the mayoralty post in General Santos City, arrived at formal announcement of Pichay's senatorial bid. "Sana suportahan ninyo kaming lahat. Isa siyang tunay na kaibigan. (I hope all of you would support us. Pichay is a true friend)," said Pacquiao, who is set to run under the administration party. Aside from Pichay and Defensor, Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri and former Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta have also already announced that they would be running for senators under the administration's "unity" slate. Oreta, along with former Sen. Vicente Sotto III, bolted the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) and the United Opposition (UNO) umbrella and joined the Nacionalist Peoples' Coalition (NPC) of business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco. Oreta has said she would have preferred running with her colleagues at the UNO but the entry of her nephew, Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, made her feel that she was "not wanted" by the opposition. While he earlier said he would not join the Senate race if opposition personalities join the administration lineup, Pichay said he would respect the party decision to include Sotto and Oreta. Zubiri has filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Wednesday, while Oreta and Sotto are set to follow suit on Sunday (February 11). Pichay and Defensor said they would file their candidacy on Monday (February 12) along with the other administration candidates. De Venecia said the "final" list of the administration's senatorial wannabes would be completed during the weekend. He said a formal announcement would be made on Monday, after which the candidates would go to the Comelec together to file their candidacies. Among those included in the "unity ticket," aside from the four candidates, are Senators Ralph Recto and Joker Arroyo, said De Venecia. He claimed that Recto and Senator Arroyo have already agreed to run under the administration's banner. Recto, who was originally scheduled to file his certificate of candidacy at the Comelec Friday afternoon, refused to confirm De Venecia's statement. He said he would meet with other members of the Senate's "Wednesday Club" Friday afternoon to discuss with them their final senatorial plans. The group – composed of Senate President Manuel Villar, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilina and Senators Recto and Arroyo – met Thursday night but failed to come up with a final decision. Villar and Pangilinan are inclined to join the UNO. They have two slots waiting for them in the opposition's 12-man senatorial ticket. Recto and Arroyo, while willing to join their friends in UNO, have not been formally offered any slots in the opposition coalition. They have been invited, though, to join the administration's slate despite their vocal criticisms of various government policies. Recto the other day denied he was taking his oath as a member of President Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) but conceded this could change depending on the discussions of the "Wednesday Club." Villar had hinted that the "Wednesday Club" was likely to go separate ways during this year's campaign period. Villar and Pangilinan have declared they would never ally themselves with the administration. Pangilinan belongs to the Liberal Party faction of Sen. Franklin Drilon, which have joined calls for President Arroyo's resignation following the "Hello, Garci!" controversy. - with a report from Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV