Poe-Escudero’s last pick could be ex-top cop
A retired police general could round out the senatorial slate of Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero, which they are expected to introduce next week.
READ: Poe readies Senate slate
ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Samuel Pagdilao, the former chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, is being eyed as a candidate in Poe and Escudero’s senatorial slate, according to a source privy to the talks.
Pagdilao filed his certificate of candidacy for the Senate as an independent.
But Pagdilao declined to confirm if he was joining Poe and Escudero’s ticket.
“Let’s just wait for their announcement,” he said when reached by phone late Friday.
The full senatorial lineup of the Poe-Escudero tandem, who are both running as independents, is shaping up and would be composed of candidates of different political affiliations.
READ: Neri Colmenares files COC for senator with Angel Locsin in tow
The other candidates being considered for the slate, according to the source, are Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno; Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares; incumbent Senators Vicente Sotto III and Ralph Recto; actor Edu Manzano; former Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri; Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian; former senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson; Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo, and lawyer Lorna Kapunan.
Two endorsed
Moreno and Colmenares have received the endorsement of Poe and Escudero.
The tandem attended Moreno’s and Colmenares’ separate events proclaiming their senatorial candidacies, singing their praises of the two.
Not all of the expected senatorial candidates will be exclusive to the Poe-Escudero team though.
Several will also be part of the senatorial slates of their rivals.
Recto and Lacson are in the lineup of the administration-backed “Daang Matuwid” coalition, which is fielding Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo for President and Vice President.
Zubiri and Gordon have also reportedly been included as candidates in the slate of the United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Gregorio Honasan.
Sotto and Gatchalian are members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the country’s second biggest political party which is also expected to back Poe and Escudero.
Recto and Romulo are members of the administration’s Liberal Party. Kapunan is with Aksyon Demoktratiko, Gordon is with the Bagumbayan party, while Moreno is with the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.
Colmenares is with the Makabayan coalition, while Lacson, Manzano and Zubiri are independents.
Poe, who has not disclosed the names of her candidates, said on Thursday that while her senatorial lineup would include people of different affiliations, they would be united in their desire to help the country.
