UNA: Recto, Gordon and Zubiri to join Pacquiao in possible senatorial slate

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Ralph Recto, Richard Gordon and Miguel Zubiri INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines— Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, an administration ally, is one of those being considered by the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to be included in its senatorial slate in 2016, Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said on Thursday.

“We will invite Senator Ralph Recto if he likes to join us,” said Ejercito, who belongs to UNA.

Aside from Recto, Ejercito said UNA’s short list of possible senatorial bets in the next elections are incumbent Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Valenzuela Representative Sherwin Gatchalian and Navotas Representative Tobias “Toby” Tiango .

“Probably Toby if he likes but he doesn’t like,” Ejercito told reporters after a weekly forum in the Senate on Thursday.

Former senators Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri, who both ran but lost during the last elections, may still be considered in UNA’s senatorial ticket.

“I think he (Zubiri) has a good chance kaya lang parang na-trauma na, but I think he has a good chance based on his latest survey (showing),” he said.

UNA had earlier named boxing icon and Saranggani Representative Manny Pacquiao as one of its bets for a seat in the Senate in 2016

Ejercito, meanwhile, doubts whether the party’s vice presidential bet would come from its own group, as he expected a possible merger with other political groups.

Since Vice President Jejomar Binay, one of UNA’s leaders had openly declared his intention to run for president in 2016, Ejercito expects that a party that would coalesce with the group would “demand” to have the vice presidential post.