FILE PHOTO: Senate President Vicente Sotto III (back) and Senator Panfilo Lacson. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Wednesday bared the initial list of the Lacson-Sotto tandem’s senatorial candidates for the upcoming 2022 polls.
Senator Panfilo Lacson is gunning for the presidency while Sotto will run for vice president.
According to Sotto, the following are in the Lacson-Sotto tandem’s initial senatorial slate:
1. Former Senator JV Ejercito
2. Former Senator and now Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero
3. Senator Sherwin Gatchalian
4. Senator Richard Gordon
5. Former Senator and now Information and Communications Technology Secretary Gringo Honasan
6. Former Elections Commissioner Gregorio “Goyo” Larrazabal
7. Former Senator and now Antique Rep. Loren Legarda
8. Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez
9. Senator Joel Villanueva
10. Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri
Ejercito, Gatchalian, and Legarda are part of the Nationalist People’s Coalition where Sotto serves as chairman.
“I’ll be consulting with my party mates re: my candidacy with Ping and lineup on the 28th,” the Senate leader said in a Viber message to reporters.
In separate statements earlier, Villanueva, Zubiri and Ejercito thanked the Lacson-Sotto tandem for endorsing them.
“Am so humbled and honored by the endorsement of SP Sotto and Sen Ping. Am sure it is not just because we have this special bonding kaming 3 as Andres Bonifacio club but because they have seen first hand our commitment and dedication when it comes to the work expected of a legislator,” Villanueva said.
For his part, Zubiri said he was “honored and humbled” by the support as he vowed to continue their “performance-based public service.”
While thanking Sotto for endorsing his possible reelection bid next year, Ejercito said he has yet to make a decision “because of the complicated circumstance I am in again.”
“I am very thankful nonetheless,” he said.
RELATED STORY
Lacson to run for president in 2022 with Sotto as his vice president