Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 20) — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez clarified Monday that the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial bets he had identified on Friday were just personal suggestions.
Speaking to media, Alvarez, who is also Secretary-General of the party, said the names were just a “temporary list” and have not yet been approved by the party’s leaders.
“Itong mga sinasabi ko, alam naman natin lahat na ano palang ito, parang temporary list dahil kailangan rin i-finalize ito ng leadership ng partido,” Alvarez said.
[Translation: The names I said, we all know that this is just a temporary list because it needs to finalized by the party’s leadership.]
He said all 2019 senatorial candidates must be vetted by President Rodrigo Duterte, the party’s chairman.
Alvarez caught the public off-guard Friday when he identified Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, and Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman among six senatorial bets for the PDP-Laban slate.
PDP-Laban President Senator Koko Pimentel said Alvarez’s announcement was not yet official. However news of Uson’s inclusion in the list caused uproar on social media, as some questioned the controversial Assistant Secretary’s qualifications to run for office.
Alvarez, however, believes in Uson’s capability to run for Senator. He said he added her to the slate as he thinks she is a winnable candidate with a heart for the Filipino people.
“Tingin ko naman, unang una, kaya nya manalo. And pangalawa, i think she has a genuine heart for the Filipino people,” Alvarez said.
[Translation: I think, first of all, she can win. Second, I think she has a genuine heart for the Filipino people.]
Uson, for her part, said she has no plans to run for the Senate, but would be open to the idea if the President asked her to.
READ: Mocha Uson, Harry Roque to run for Senate in 2019 – House Speaker
Uson, a staunch Duterte supporter, has been controversial for her strong statements against the opposition and Duterte’s critics.
She runs the wildly popular pro-Duterte Facebook Page “Mocha Uson Blog,” which now has nearly 5.5 million followers.
When asked if he had spoken with Alvarez regarding the proposed lineup, Duterte said Sunday to “let the people decide” who they’ll put in office.
READ: Duterte on Uson as senator: Let the people decide
Earlier on Monday, Alvarez also floated the idea of including Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre in the 2019 Senatorial ticket.
“Susuportahan ko po yung kandidatura ni Vit Aguirre. Kakausapin ko po ang ating Pangulo kung pwede ipahiram muna si Sec. Vit Aguirre sa Senado upang bumilis-bilis naman ang pagpasa ng mga batas doon,” Alvarez said at the 81st anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation, which is under the Justice Department.
[Translation: I support Vit Aguirre’s candidacy. I’ll ask our President if he could lend Sec. Vit Aguirre to the senate so laws will get passed faster.]
Aguirre, however, said he wants to focus on improving the Department of Justice first.
“I am honored by the trust of the Speaker. I am thankful and even humbled by it. However, we serve at the pleasure of the President and his mandate to us is to use the powers of the DOJ to fight the war against illegal drugs, corruption and criminality,” he said in a statement.
Aside from Uson, Roque, Roman, and Aguirre, Alvarez also suggested to include in the PDP-Laban senatorial line-up Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles, Negros Occidental Representative Albee Benitez, and Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino.
