Speaker calls on party-mates to campaign for all Alyansa bets

Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, president of the ruling party Lakas-CMD, has called on his party members to vote for all 11 Senate bets of the administration slate Alyansa sa Bagong Pilipinas in the May 2025 polls, including Las Piñas representative Camille Villar who was recently endorsed by Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Please lang, please. [Vote] straight Alyansa. Diinan natin lahat sila, walang iwanan dito. Ito ang gusto ng ating Mahal na Pangulo. They are our true partners. Subok na subok sila. I know each and everyone of them have proven themselves,” Romualdez said during the Lakas-CMD breakfast meeting held at Imelda Hall, Aguado Residence, in Malacañang. 

“Hindi tayo mapapahiya sa taong-bayan. These are the right candidates. This is the future of the Philippine Senate and the Republic of the Philippines,” Romualdez added.

The Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas Senate slate are former Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas; Makati City Mayor Abby Binay of the Nationalist People’s Coalition; Senator Pia Cayetano of Nacionalista Party; Senator Lito Lapid of the Nationalist People’s Coalition; former senator Ping Lacson; former senator Manny Pacquiao; Senator Bong Revilla, Jr. of Lakas-CMD; former Senate President Tito Sotto of the Nationalist People’s Coalition; Senator Francis Tolentino of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas; ACT-CIS party-list Representative Erwin Tulfo of Lakas-CMD; and Villar of Nacionalista Party.

All of the Alyansa bets were present during Tuesday's meeting, except for Villar. 

The list initially included Romualdez's cousin and the President’s sister, Senator Imee Marcos, but the Senator was ultimately excluded after she expressed opposition to the arrest and detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte in the International Criminal Court facility in The Netherlands over alleged crimes against humanity.

Romualdez, on the other hand, issued the call to his party-mates a day after the release of Villar’s campaign ad showing her May 2025 Senate bid being endorsed by Vice President Duterte.

The Vice President also appeared in a campaign ad endorsing the 2025 Senate bid of Senator Marcos dubbed ITIM, an acronym of Inday Trusts Imee Marcos and Ilaban ang Tama, Itama ang Mali amid a backdrop of a nation supposedly in mourning due to poverty and inefficient government.

The campaign endorsement videos of the Vice President for Senator Marcos and Congresswoman Villar were also released after recent surveys showing a significant number of Senate bets of PDP-Laban chaired by former President Duterte gaining surge, although incumbents Bong Go and Ronald Bato dela Rosa out of the 10 PDP-Laban Senate candidates are the only ones in the upper echelon of the top 12 winning circle.

“The victory of the Alyansa is the victory of the people. Our citizens are tired of the noise, drama, and political grandstanding. What they demand is unity, delivery, and continuity—and that’s exactly what this slate offers,” Romualdez said.

“We are choosing leaders who build, not break. Leaders who legislate, not obstruct. Leaders who offer solutions, not slogans. This is not just a Senate campaign—it is a grassroots movement for good governance. The engine of national progress is local governance. Kaya ang laban ng Alyansa ay laban ng bawat lalawigan, bayan, at barangay,” Romualdez added.

Also present during the said meeting alongside Romualdez were Lakas-CMD leaders House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe of Zamboanga city (Executive Vice President), Agusan del Norte Representative Jose “Joboy” S. Aquino II (Secretary General), Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, and Deputy Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez of Quezon.

On the other hand, governors from the ruling party who attended the meeting included Fred Castro (Aklan), Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu (Sultan Kudarat), Alonto Mamintal Adiong (Lanao del Sur), Abdusakur Tan (Sulu), Peter Unabia (Misamis Oriental), Xavier Jesus Romualdo (Camiguin), Melchor Diclas (Benguet), James Edduba (Kalinga), and Jose Miraflores (Aklan).

“This [election] is not business as usual. This is a mission. We are not simply endorsing candidates—we are rallying behind a shared vision aligned with the values and direction of President Marcos,” the Speaker said.

“Let them throw mud—we will build roads, schools, hospitals, and jobs. Let them play politics—we will serve. The people will see through the noise and choose results. When Lakas moves, the nation follows. Sama-sama tayong babangon at susulong [We’ll rise and prosper together],” Romualdez added.

Based on the records provided by Lakas-CMD Executive Director Anna Capella Velasco, at least 6,114 candidates are running under the Lakas-CMD banner for the 2025 elections broken down to:

• two Senate bets;
• 21 candidates for governor;
• 29 candidates for vice governor;
• 125 candidates for the House of Representatives;
• 38 candidates for city mayors;
• 39 candidates city vice mayors;
• 431 candidates for city councilors;
• 572 candidates for municipal mayors;
• 518 candidates for municipal vice mayors;
• 4,089 candidates municipal councilors; and
• 250 candidates for provincial board members.

The administration slate on Wednesday is scheduled to campaign in Pampanga on April 23 with four major campaign events across the province.

There are 1.67 million registered voters in Pampanga.

“Pampanga is a game-changer. Its people want leaders who will work, not grandstand, and that’s exactly what Alyansa stands for,” Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco, Alyansa’s campaign manager, said. –BM/NB, GMA Integrated News

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