Admin senators eye common slate if shut out of PDP-Laban ticket, says JV

Senator JV Ejercito on Thursday raised the possibility of re-electionist senators in the administration coalition running together in the 2019 mid-term elections if President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban would shut them out of its Senate slate.

Ejercito said he already had discussions with Duterte's daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who supposedly told him that her party Hugpong ng Pagbabago was open to forming a coalition ticket with the re-electionists.

“Nag usap kami ni Mayor Inday Sara. Ang malinaw dun kami po very supportive with the President kaso parang ayaw sa amin ng PDP," Ejercito said at a news forum.

Asked if Sara was open to forming a coalition with the group of re-electionists, Ejercito said, "Yes, she was."

Ejercito said some re-electionists in the Senate were hurt by the PDP-Laban easing them out of the administration ticket as indicated by the absence of their names on Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez's list of senatorial candidates.

Ejercito said the re-electionists in the majority—himself, Cynthia Villar of the Nacionalista Party, Sonny Angara of the Laban ng Demokratiko ng Pilipino, Nancy Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance, and independent Grace Poe—had been supportive of Duterte's legislative agenda.

Ejercito is a member of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, a PDP-Laban stalwart, is the only re-electionist in the ruling party's senatorial ticket according to Alvarez's pronouncements.

Ejercito said the bloc of re-electionists had been dubbed "The Force."

“‘Yung re-electionists walang formal talks but we have a very good relationship with each other so chances are mukhang hindi na maghihiwalay ito," Ejercito said.

"Kung kami man ay tanggapin ng PDP as a coalition, we will be very thankful. If not, we will still continue to stick together. Magsasama sama kami,” he added.

He said Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson had already expressed support to the majority members’ reelection bid.

“What’s good about it even non-re-electionist senators Sotto and Ping have expressed support to the group. Senator Sotto already volunteered to be the campaign manager of The Force," Ejercito said.

"(Si Lacson) nagsabi lang siya na gusto niyang tumulong sa amin.  That’s very encouraging coming from senior senators,” he added.

Ejercito said Pimentel, as their leader in the Senate, should have his own list if Alvarez's continued to announce his preferred senatorial candidates of the PDP-Laban.

“‘Yun po ang sama ng loob ng ilang reelectionist senators na naging supportive naman kami bakit ayaw kami isali sa administration coalition," Ejercito said.

"Kung meron si Speaker (Pantaleon Alvarez) na slate, dapat meron din si Senate President,” he added.

Sought for comment, Pimentel said, “Nothing is final and (the) slate announced by Speaker (Alvarez) is not even completely filled up.”

Ejercito said Pimentel was non-committal as regards their inclusion in administrationslate.

“Ang sinasabi lang niya kay Speaker ‘yun, ‘yung mga pronouncement kumbaga he is saying it’s not official yet. Sumasama lang ang loob ko kasi parang bina-box out kami ng PDP,” Ejercito said.

He said Pimentel should fight for the inclusion of reelectionist majority bloc members in the PDP-Laban line-up because they had been supportive of the administration's legislative agenda.

“When it comes to performance we have shown that we have performed. Ilaban naman sana ‘yung na re-electionist senators to be part of the slate. We were hoping na Senator Koko, being our head, sana lang he should fight for his direct constituents, us,” Ejercito said.

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, a member of  Liberal Party, is also seeking re-election.

Ejercito said their support for Pimentel remained.

“Wala pa namang talagang major issue that would need a revamp and I am just hoping na ‘yung sa political e maiayos. We expect sana the same amount of support namin na ganun sana ma-protektahan din kami,  huwag panay PDP,” Ejercito said. —NB, GMA News