Senate slates set rallies to start campaign period

Candidates vying for national posts will launch their respective campaigns on Tuesday, February 11, with proclamation rallies, motorcades, and political pitches to woo voters to participate in what should be a democratic exercise of their right to choose leaders.

Often regarded as a referendum on the incumbent administration and the country's direction, the May 12 elections will elect over 18,000 posts nationwide.

Under the Commission on Election (Comelec) rules, the campaign period for national candidates —senators and party-list groups —will start on February 11. The campaign period for local positions will begin on March 28 and run through May 10.

A total of 75,940,535 Filipinos are eligible to vote, an increase of a little over 10 million registered voters from the last elections in 2022.

Alyansa

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will lead the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate in its opening salvo, a rally at the Centennial Arena in Laoag City in his home province Ilocos Norte.

The Ilocos Region, comprised of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan, has a total of 3,633,900 registered voters.

Campaign manager and Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco said the Ilocos Norte event "is not just a campaign launch but also a reaffirmation of our commitment to build on the progress we made under President Marcos."

The administration’s Senate slate is composed of former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Pia Cayetano, Senator Imee Marcos, Senator Lito Lapid, former Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senator Francis Tolentino, party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar.

PDP-Laban

The Partido ng Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is slated to hold its proclamation rally on Thursday, February 13, in San Juan City. 

The political party, chaired by former President Rodrigo Duterte, has the following official senatorial candidates for the 2025 midterm elections: Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Sagip party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, Atty. Jesus Hinlo Jr., Atty. Raul Lambino, Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, actor Philip Salvador, and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

The group will kick off its campaign on February 13 at Club Filipino in San Juan City.

Quiboloy, who is currently detained, will hold his proclamation rally at the Lapasan Gym in Cagayan de Oro.

PDP-Laban president Senator Robin Padilla will serve as the candidates' campaign manager.

On Tuesday, several party candidates are expected to attend a high noon mass at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in Quezon City. 

Later in the evening, a proclamation rally will be held for Quiboloy in Pasig City. 

Bondoc on Monday joined other Duterte allies and a non-government organization in filing a criminal and graft complaint against Speaker Martin Romualdez and five others over alleged billions worth of insertions in the 2025 national budget.

Former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had denied that the filing of the complaint was related to the recent impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe, who is a respondent in the complaint, maintained that the passage of the 2025 national budget was legal and a matter of responsibility. He also questioned the timing of the filing of the complaint considering Duterte’s impeachment. 

The PDP-Laban earlier condemned the impeachment of Sara Duterte, adding that the process was “railroaded.”

Kiko, Bam, Akbayan, ML

Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Bam Aquino plan to anchor on the impact of former Vice President Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign in Cavite during the 2022 elections as they seek to make a Senate comeback this year. 

Pangilinan and Aquino will kick off their senatorial campaign on Tuesday, February 11 at the Dasmariñas City Arena. 

Nominees of party-list groups Mamamayang Liberal and Akbayan, led respectively by former Senator Leila de Lima and Chel Diokno, are expected to join them.

Robredo and Senator Risa Hontiveros are expected to grace the event. 

The former vice president drew more than 50,000 supporters in her first campaign rally in General Trias, Cavite during the presidential elections in 2022.

The crowd donning pink attires grew further to around 100,000 during Robredo’s second rally in the province in City of Dasmariñas Football Field.

Cavite had over two million registered voters in the 2022 polls. 

Aquino left the Liberal Party (LP) to lead the KANP, a young party formed in 2021 to boost the 2022 presidential run of Robredo. He, however, would be in coalition with the LP, who fielded Pangilinan for the 2025 elections.

Makabayan

Progressive leaders and activists comprising the 11-member Makabayan slate will have a send-off ceremony at the Kartilya ng Katipunan or Heroes Park in Ermita, Manila.

The slate is composed of party-list Reps. France Castro and Arlene Brosas, Mody Floranda, Jocelyn Andamo, Amirah Lidasan, Mimi Domingo, Jerome Adonis, Liza Maza, Ronnel Arambulo, Danilo Ramos, and Teddy Casiño.

The group will then embark on separate campaigns in their respective sectors, which will include house-to-house visits, school, hospital, and market hopping.

The group said the "grassroots campaign" is dubbed, "Tao po. Taumbayan po," which will involve directly engaging the people to discuss pressing issues and offer concrete solutions or alternatives.

After their Manila activity, Ramos will lead a visit to Bulacan while Floranda will spearhead activity in Negros.  Lidasan and Maza will be in Cagayan de Oro.                                                                

Progressives

Workers' and Peasants' Party senatorial candidates Sonny Matula and Sultan Subair Mustapha will be in Quiapo for their campaign's take-off.

Matula, a labor leader, will attend religious ceremonies at Quiapo Church at 9 a.m., while Mustapha will be at the Quiapo Mosque.

Labor rights advocates Luke Espiritu and Leody de Guzman continue to embark on giving talks to various groups nationwide.

They began their "road trip adventure" in Cebu City on Monday to discuss issues with supporters. —LDF, GMA Integrated News.

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