Bagong Pilipinas alliance still has to evaluate Senate bets – Dalipe

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe (Photo from House of Representatives)

MANILA, Philippines — The reported list of administration-backed senatorial candidates for 2025 polls is “speculative” as the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas still have to evaluate prospective bets, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe said on Thursday.

In a statement, Dalipe reiterated Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) president and South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.’s statement that the administration has not finalized their senatorial slate.

READ: No official 2025 admin Senate slate yet – PFP

According to the lawmaker, the parties aligned with PFP — Lakas-CMD, the Nacionalista Party (NP), the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and the National Unity Party (NUP) — were only asked during Monday’s meeting in Malacañang to submit their bets.

“The reports stem from a meeting where political parties supporting the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. were asked to submit their respective nominees by Sept. 15. However, it is important to emphasize that any list circulating at this point is not official and should be regarded as speculative,” said Dalipe, Lakas-CMD’s executive vice president.

“Following the submission deadline, party leaders will carefully evaluate the nominations and engage in thorough deliberations to finalize the Alyansa’s senatorial lineup. This collective decision-making process ensures that we present the strongest and most capable candidates to the electorate, fully aligned with our shared vision for the country,” he added.

Dalipe urged the public to remain patient and “allow the process to unfold.”

“Rest assured, the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas is committed to selecting candidates who embody our vision for a better future for all Filipinos,” he added.

Tamayo on Tuesday said parties aligned with the PFP were only asked to submit their Senate bets from their groups during the meeting in Malacañang.

He did not specify who revealed the 12-person slate, but according to reports from the media, Senator Imee Marcos name-dropped the administration’s supposed Magic 12 for the 2025 elections.

Sen. Marcos said this was supposedly the topic of a meeting in Malacañang last Monday night.

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

Camarines Sur 2nd District Rep. LRay Villafuerte also named seven members of the groups within the alliance, but he said this would still be up for the approval of all political parties involved.

Villafuerte, head of the NUP, said the following names were floated:

• former Senate President Sotto (NPC)
• Deputy Speaker Camille Villar (NP)
• Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla (Lakas-CMD)
• Senator Marcos (NP)
• Senator Pia Cayetano (NP)
• Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. (PFP)
• Senator Francis Tolentino (PFP)

With reports from Arianne Denisse Cagsawa, INQUIRER.net