7 members of groups in Bagong Pilipinas alliance eyed as Senate bets

This undated photo shows Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte during a session of the bicameral panel. | PHOTO: Office of CamSur Rep. LRay Villafuerte

MANILA, Philippines — Seven key members of the political parties within the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” are being eyed as possible candidates for the administration’s Senate slate for 2025, Camarines 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte said on Tuesday.

During a phone interview with reporters covering the House of Representatives, Villafuerte said they have not yet finalized the list of possible candidates, but the following may be part of the administration’s Magic 12:

• former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III (Nationalist People’s Coalition)
• Deputy Speaker Camille Villar (Nacionalista Party)
• Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla (Lakas-CMD)
• Senator Imee Marcos (Nacionalista Party)
• Senator Pia Cayetano (Nacionalista Party)
• Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas)
• Senator Francis Tolentino (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas)

“Well the president of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Tito Sotto, so most probably he is part of the slate because he heads the party.  Camille Villar is a high-ranking official of the Nacionalista Party.  Then of course Bong Revilla is a high official of Lakas(-CMD), and he’s running for reelection, so these are the common names talked about,” Villafuerte said of the meeting of party leaders in Malacañang on Monday night.

“Well Senator Pia (Cayetano) is a member of the Nacionalista Party, then I understand that Senator (Francis) Tolentino who is a new member of the Partido Federal is running for reelection […]  Well of course member Secretary Benhur (Abalos) is also a member of the PFP, if he decides to run, he can be considered too because he’s part of the President’s cabinet at the same time I think he’s considering to run.  But we cannot preempt that until he decides to run,” he added.

Villafuerte, who heads the National Unity Party (NUP) said there is no fixed list yet, adding that the coalition aims to announce the list by September 15 or the third week of September.

“But other than that I don’t want to preempt because I think they’re planning to announce the common senatorial line-up either September 15 or the 3rd week of September,” he said.

“So far we have not talked about guest candidates eh, what we talked about last night is that we’re open, that has to be submitted to the alliance members for consideration. Everybody has to agree eh, so it’s not only one or two parties, all members of the alliance,” he added.

Earlier, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez who heads Lakas-CMD confirmed that party leaders met on Monday night in Malacañang to discuss the strategy for the 2025 midterm elections.

According to Romualdez, the meeting is also a “declaration of our shared commitment to the Filipino people.”

Lakas-CMD, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the Nacionalista Party (NP), and Villafuerte’s NUP separately signed an agreement to align with the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the party of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

READ: ‘Unity pa rin’: Party leaders meet at Malacañang for 2025 strategy 

It appears that with the coalition forming a strategy, the ‘unity’ catchphrase of the administration is still in play, despite concerns that it may have already started weakening.

READ: Sara Duterte resigns as DepEd secretary, says Palace 

The term ‘unity’ was the central theme of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign, which also featured the President’s running-mate, Vice President Sara Duterte.  Marcos’ campaign focused on the belief that unity would help the country recover from the different crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ: Up to last day of campaign, Bongbong Marcos sticks to unity message 

However, there are beliefs that the Uniteam has been dissolved already, with Vice President Duterte leaving the Marcos cabinet, and taking on a more critical stance towards the administration.