Atty. Neri Colmenares, former Bayan Muna Partylist representative. | PHOTO: Joseph Vidal/ Senate PRIB
The Makabayan coalition will be fielding a full senatorial slate for next year’s midterm elections.
Former Makabayan lawmakers Neri Colmenares, Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, and Antonio Tinio said on Thursday their 12 candidates would come mostly from their ranks, although they were also open to talks with other prospects who share their platforms.
So far, the only candidate that has been confirmed on their ticket is incumbent ACT Teachers party list Rep. France Castro, who earlier declared her intention to run for the Senate in 2025.
Colmenares said that while they intend to prioritize candidates coming from the Makabayan coalition, they are also willing to talk with other individuals who share their political views.
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“We are open to nominations or suggestions for other candidates who agree with us on certain issues,” the former Bayan Muna representative told reporters at a press conference in Quezon City.
Maza, for her part, said the coalition has already started the process of nominating individuals who would fill the slots on their slate.
She added that the coalition has already approved Castro’s nomination and their deliberations in the coming weeks will reveal who else will be fielded for next year’s elections.
Among opposition figures, only human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, and former Senators Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino have so far confirmed their candidacies for the Senate next year.
No talks with other bets
Tinio said there were no formal talks yet with any of the three about forming a coalition.
Ocampo and Maza ran for the Senate in 2010 as guest candidates under the Nacionalista Party but lost.
The Makabayan coalition is composed of eight parties, including Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, ACT Teachers, and Kabataan.
Maza admitted that next year’s elections would be an “uphill battle” for them as they would be facing off with candidates to be fielded by the parties of President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte.
Plans not yet final
Pangilinan, meanwhile, said that while he was inclined to run for the Senate, he had yet to finalize his plans as he was still weighing his chances of winning.
The Liberal Party president was in Legazpi City to speak at the graduation rites of the Bicol University College of Medicine and Malilipot town’s San Jose Community College. He was also filming an Albay episode for the second season of his “Hello Pagkain” program on One PH.
Pangilinan told the Inquirer on Wednesday that agriculture-related bills would still be his priority if his numbers turn out to be good.
“Clearly, since we stepped down, the food problem has worsened. Prices have gone up so food insecurity is really a challenge,” he said.
At the same time, Pangilinan said that the party respects former Vice President Leni Robredo’s decision to run for Naga City mayor instead of a national post.
In an interview with NewsWatch Plus, Robredo said she felt that her capacities were not aligned with the skill sets of a senator, an assessment that Pangilinan described as “truthful” and “honest.
Her late husband, former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, also served as Naga mayor for a total of six terms. The city is a stronghold of the Liberal Party.
“I can understand completely because she says [she needs to preserve and protect] the legacy of Jesse,” Pangilinan said. The two were teammates in the 2022 presidential and vice presidential elections.
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