MANILA, Philippines – Expect Senate candidates to be even more visible starting Tuesday, February 12, when the official campaign season kicks off.
To officially fire off their campaign, the senatorial slate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte – Carpio’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago party will hold campaign programs in the cities of San Fernando and Clark in Pampanga on Tuesday.
The senatorial slate of President Rodrigo Duterte’s political party, PDP-Laban, will also join the HNP campaign kick-off event in Pampanga.
Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to grace the event in San Fernando.
The presidential daughter’s party is endorsing 13 senatorial bets in the coming May elections, namely: Senators Cynthia Villar, Aquilino Pimentel III, JV Ejercito and Juan Edgardo Angara; former Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla and Pia Cayetano; Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, former national police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, former Presidential legal adviser Francis Tolentino and journalist Jiggy Manicad.
Mangudadatu, Dela Rosa, Go, Pimentel and Tolentino are also running under the PFP-Laban banner.
The PDP-Laban slate is set to hold its own campaign kick-off event in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan on Feb. 14.
Meanwhile, the “Otso Diretso” senatorial slate, a coalition of opposition parties, will hold its campaign kick-off event in Caloocan City.
The Otso Diretso line-up is includes Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, re-electionist Senator Bam Aquino, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, civic leader Samira Gutoc, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, and former Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada.
Roxas, however, will skip the Caloocan activity due to a commitment in Roxas City, Capiz.
The opposition slate would continue its campaign in Naga City on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Meanwhile, re-electionist Senator Grace Poe, who is running as an independent, will attend a school-feeding program on Tuesday.
She is set to hold a kick-off rally in Tondo, Manila on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares, who is running under the banner of Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan, is scheduled to have breakfast with senior citizens in Old Balara and host a forum with University of Philippines Law students and professors.
He is scheduled to attend a proclamation rally in Muntinlupa City later in the day. / gsg