Presidentiables share Senate bets in 2016 elections

Political parties in the Philippines have often been criticized for not having clear ideologies that will keep a party's members from running under the banner of another.

Next year's senatorial elections will again see this absence of clear political lines between the parties.

The ruling Liberal Party of Mar Roxas will have a common candidate with the opposition United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay, and another with the coalition led by party-less Senator Grace Poe.

Binay's party, on the other hand, will have four common candidates with the coalition led by Poe, despite the latter being considered by no less than President Benigno Aquino III to be Roxas' running mate before she herself joined the presidential race.

Former Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson will be running under both the UNA and the LP, while Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto will be endorsed by both his party LP and the Poe-led coalition. Until recently, Lacson was supposedly included in Poe's senatorial line-up.

Included in both UNA and Poe's lineups are re-electionist Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, migrant workers’ advocate Susan “Toots” Ople, former Senator Richard Gordon, and former Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.

The senatorial line-up of the other shoo-in presidential candidate, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, has yet to be presented.



—NB, GMA News