NPC eyes 5 more bets for 2022 Senate slate

Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III (Senate PRIB)

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is in talks with several “big names” for their possible inclusion in its senatorial slate for next year’s national elections, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Thursday.

The NPC is looking at filling up four slots—two of these just in case Senators Richard Gordon and Sherwin Gatchalian decide to run for either President or Vice President, respectively.

“Senator Lacson and I have been discussing the names of those who we want to be in the Senate, or who we want to return to the Senate, and we know who will be good not only for the Senate but also for the country. These are the names we want to endorse at the proper time after the filing of (certificates of candidacy),” Sotto said.

But he did not identify the other probable candidates that NPC leaders were talking to, saying it might preempt the outcome of the party meeting on Saturday.4 or 5 names

“To be very candid about it, there are about four or five names that we are looking at and all are experienced,” he said.

Sotto made the disclosure at an online forum with reporters, a day after the NPC released the names of its senatorial roster for the 2022 elections, with Lacson and himself as presidential and vice presidential candidates, respectively.

Aside from Gordon and Gatchalian, other possible candidates were reelectionist Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Joel Villanueva, Information Secretary and former Sen. Gregorio Honasan, House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, Sorsogon Gov. Francis Escudero, Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, former Sen. JV Ejercito and former election commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

Sotto said five of those on the roster were NPC members, while the rest were independents, including Torres-Gomez, who was also being listed as a candidate under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Alliance

“What is crucial for us now, which we will discuss on July 28, is that we are very cautious about the so-called alliances or coalitions because we learned our lesson that in areas that we are supposed to be in coalition with PDP-Laban, (Liberal Party), our own candidates who are incumbents ended up clashing with [candidates of the supposed coalition],” he said.

According to him, he and Lacson have not discussed the possibility of coalescing with 1Sambayan, which is eyeing to field a unified candidate against Mr. Duterte’s anointed successor.

“Better ask Senator Lacson as I’d rather not speak for him. But knowing how in the past [the group] has said something unsavory … I don’t know what he (Lacson) will say about that,” Sotto said.

However, he did not rule out an alliance with Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who was also being floated as a possible presidential contender. The boxing champ turned politician has been in the middle of a power struggle within the PDP-Laban.

“We are friends and if he runs, we will not clash. If he runs for reelection, we will be happy to welcome him in our senatorial slate. It’s up to him, but October is still far off and a lot of things can still happen,” Sotto said. INQ