Quality over quantity: Robredo says LP can field less than 12 senatorial bets

Liberal Party (LP) Chairman Vice President Leni Robredo said on Tuesday that they can field less than 12 senatorial candidates and would not endorse individuals just for the sake of completing the slate.

“Hindi pa nase-settle iyong kaunting debate kung pupunuin ba o hindi iyong 12. Marami iyong naniniwala na hindi kailangang punuin iyong 12 just for the sake na pupunuin (The debate on whether the 12 slots will be filled up has not been settled. Many believe that we don’t really have to fill all the slots),” Robredo told reporters after LP’s National Executive Council Meeting at Quezon City.

“Kung palagay namin anim, o pito, o walo […] iyon iyong pagdedesisyunan (If we think there will only be six, seven or eight who deserve to be in the ticket, then we will decide on that),” she added.

According to Robredo, there were 18 initial candidates who were being screened by an advisory council. As of now, only incumbent Senator Bam Aquino, former Quezon Representative Erin Tañada, and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno were named as official LP senatorial bets to the 2019 midterm elections.

“Iyong una kong nakitang listahan ay 18. Hindi ko alam kung may dagdag pa iyon o may bawas. Hindi pa sa akin formally tinu-turnover (The list that I saw had 18 names. I don’t know if more will be added or some will be taken off the list. It hasn’t been formally turned over to me),” she said.

“Ang usapan, iyong united coalition—representatives ng iba’t ibang grupo na nandoon—mayroong nag-form ng isang advisory council na sila iyong nagmi-meet regularly (We agreed that representatives of the united coalition would form an advisory council that will meet regularly),” she added.

With regards to forming coalitions with other opposition parties, she said that they need to discuss it.

“Parang mahirap para sa akin mag-comment na wala iyong iba nating kasamahan, kasi iyong papel ko hindi na lang bilang Chairperson ng Liberal Party, pero iyong Liberal Party bilang isa sa mga miyembro ng koalisyon (It’s difficult for me to comment without my colleagues because my role is no longer as chairperson of the Liberal Party but as a member of the coalition),” she noted.

Other candidates

During the event, Robredo said she sees another possible senator in Samira Gutoc, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission who resigned after President Rodrigo Duterte’s rape jokes.

However, there are constraints to her candidacy, such as funding and other more concerns, including the aftermath of the Marawi siege.

“Una, panggastos. Kasi si Samira ay biktima ng Marawi Siege. IDP (internally displaced person) din siya. Maraming kahirapan (The first problem is funding because Samira is a victim of the Marawi siege. She is also an IDP),” Robredo explained.

She added that they have explained to Samira what they are looking for and that diversity is important.

The vice president added that they respect the decision of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to focus on her advocacy and not on politics.

“Nabasa natin iyong kaniyang pahayag na mas inclined siyang hindi tumakbo. Mas gusto niyang maging active sa adbokasiya niya na pushing for moral transformation (We read her statement that she is not inclined to run for public office but to stay active and focused on his advocacy for moral transportation),” she said.

“Tayo naman, ginagalang natin iyon. Hindi natin alam kung final na iyon (We are doing the best we can, but nothing is final),” she added. /ee