Metro Manila, Philippines – A number of Senate bets of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. defended the administration’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for a New Philippines) coalition – criticized for its roster of familiar political personalities.
In a chance interview on Tuesday, Oct 1., former Senate President Vicente Sotto III said voters are looking for experience in electing senators.
Sotto is seeking a Senate return after losing to Vice President Sara Duterte in the 2022 race. He is expected to file his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
“All the surveys you will look at, the majority of Filipinos would prefer candidates with experience, candidates with track record. Perhaps that is the reason there are old names. That’s always the case,” Sotto said.
Senate Majority Leader and reelectionist Francis Tolentino said the administration is endorsing candidates who are aligned with the government’s goals.
“The judgment of a senator is independent of his political leanings,” Tolentino said.
“The Senate has been perceived as an independent last bastion of democracy. I don’t think it will affect the independence of the Senate,” he added.
In an interview with NewsWatch Plus, a political analyst said the administration Senate slate does not reflect the message of a “new philippines.”
Jean Franco, UP political science professor, said it makes it difficult for unpopular candidates to secure a Senate seat.
“These are the same people. They (have been) politicians for quite a long time and it also goes to show that the entry to the Senate is very narrow,” Franco said.
The administration coalition is composed of candidates from five major political parties namely the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, Lakas-CMD, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, and the National Unity Party.
READ: The administration Senate slate: rivals, reelectionists, returnees
NewsWatch Plus Senior Correspondent Eimor Santos contributed in this report
