REPRESENTATIVES of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) arrived in Cebu to look for possible candidates from the Visayas for their Senate lineup in the 2013 elections.
PDP-Laban member Jose “Joey” De Venecia III said they are holding recruitments for members to the party to expand their base.
He also said they see some potential senatorial candidates in Cebu like Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
“Governor Gwen is a performer . . . Governor Gwen is a friend of mine, a friend of Sen. Koko Pimentel, a friend of Vice President Jejomar Binay, a friend of former president Joseph Estrada, anything is possible,” he said.
Former president Joseph Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) signed a coalition agreement with Vice President Jejomar Binay’s PDP-Laban to form the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) last week.
UNA already has six candidates for their senatorial lineup: Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, former senator Miguel Zubiri, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito, and De Venecia.
They are also considering Senators Francis Escudero and Gregorio Honasan.
De Venecia was with Pimentel, Honasan and Francis Escudero to attend Liga ng Mga Barangay gathering held at the Crown Regency Hotel in Lapu-Lapu City.
Though they support Binay, De Venecia said they “support the present administration” of President Benigno Aquino III.
De Venecia said they are appointing coordinators in the Visayas for next year’s elections.
He said they have a “weak” presence in Central Visayas.
“We’re not going to be the size of Liberal Party or the Nacionalista Party or even your local parties here. We needed to have our presence here,” he told reporters.
De Venecia said they have completed appointing coordinators in Negros Occidental and they are starting in Negros Oriental especially in Dumaguete City and in Cebu province.
He also said that they are open to alliances with other mainstream parties, local parties and even independent candidates.
The younger de Venecia is the son of former House Speaker Jose de Venecia.
The gathering was also attended by Rep. Ma. Milagros Magsaysay of the 1st district of Zambales, who said she accepted Binay’s invitation to join the senatorial lineup of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Correspondents Carmel Loise Matus, Norman V. Mendoza and Elaine Baring