Sotto: NPC may endorse 11 senatorial bets before March 29

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) may endorse only 11 senatorial bets in the upcoming May elections, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on Thursday.

Sotto, acting chair of NPC, said the party will hold a general meeting before the start of the campaign period for local posts on March 29.

And after the meeting, he said the NPC will announce its senatorial bets.

Sotto said the senatorial bets invited to the meeting would get the party’s support.

“At that moment, tingin ko 11 e ‘yung imbitado e,” he said at the Kapihan sa Senado.

He refused to identify the 11 except for party members — Senator JV Ejercito and returning Senator Lito Lapid, and Senator Grace Poe, who is an adopted member of NPC.

READ: Poe, Ejercito, Lapid named NPC senatorial bets in 2019

Asked if all seven reelectionist senators would be invited by NPC, Sotto said: “Most probably. I can’t say yes.”

Aside from Poe and Ejercito, the five other reelectionist senators are Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Cynthia Villar, Koko Pimentel, and Bam Aquino.

Sotto said the NPC might not be able to come up with a 12-man slate as party members could not agree on certain candidates.

“Ang plano is bigyan mo ng open na isa o dalawang slot para kung sinong gusto niyang dalhin, dalhin niya na hindi kasama dun sa gusto ng liderato,” he explained.

For his part, Sotto said he would support all reelectionist senators , noting that they are part of the Senate, which is now one of the most trusted agencies of government.

“I’m definite about my support for the re-electionist senators,” the Senate leader stressed. /je