LP to field mix of returnees, incumbents, newbies, allies

The Liberal Party (LP) is forming a senatorial ticket for 2016 and choosing potential candidates from “incumbents, returnees, newbies and coalition partners,” according to Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad.

In an interview early this month, Abad explained “incumbent” as reelectionists, “returnees” as old party members who are returning to politics, “newbies” as newcomers and “coalition partners” as allies of the administration in the pursuit of reforms.

Abad gave examples for the first three “categories,” but with only Senate President Franklin Drilon sure of another run for the Senate.

Former Sen. Francis Pangilinan, currently the presidential assistant for CV food security and agricultural modernization, is being considered as a returnee and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima a newcomer, Abad said.

Both Pangilinan and De Lima, however, have not announced that they are running and the LP has not said anything about fielding the two officials in next year’s race for the Senate.

Poll standings

But Abad pointed out that Pangilinan ranks fourth or third in the senatorial polls. As for De Lima, Abad said she “would be a formidable newbie.”

The results of a Pulse Asia senatorial poll released on Thursday showed Pangilinan ranked fourth to seventh and De Lima seventh to 14th among 46 potential candidates for the Senate.

Pulse Asia noted that of the likely candidates, only De Lima is not a member or former member of Congress.

Drilon recently said that there would likely be six members of President Aquino’s Cabinet who would resign in preparation for 2016.

Aside from De Lima, Drilon named Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the presumptive LP presidential candidate; Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla; Francis Tolentino, chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority; and Director General Joel Villanueva of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is said to be planning to run for a local post in his native Quezon province.

Others eyed

Last week, a Malacañang source said Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. Director Risa Hontiveros and Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority chief operating officer Mark Lapid were also being considered for the administration’s senatorial slate.

The source said former Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Rep. Rachel Arenas of the 3rd District of Pangasinan, Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the 2nd District of Cagayan de Oro, Rep. Roman Romulo of Pasig, Rep. Reynaldo Umali of the 2nd District of Oriental Mindoro and Rep. Leni Robredo of the 3rd District of Camarines Sur were also being eyed for the administration ticket.

Possible reelectionists on the slate are Senators Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III, the source said.

Broad coalition

Abad told the Inquirer that senatorial candidates from the LP’s coalition partners “would definitely have to be accommodated because we are not going to run as LP alone.”

It is certainly a “broad coalition,” Abad said, with the partners comprising not only political parties but also “social movements” from sectors like the farmers, fishermen, students and the business community.

Abad said that in 2016, politicians should remember not to “limit the political arena to the usual players, who are politicians.”

“I think you will make a big mistake because what you really need to attract are those people, many of whom are not really trusting of politicians. That is the group that will make a difference in 2016,” Abad said, referring to the social movements.

Abad also said that framing the 2016 elections as “simply a partisan” elections, like LP versus the opposition coalition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), would be a “big mistake” for politicians.

UNA is led by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“Many of the stakeholders are not LP or UNA. They will frame the elections as those who would want to continue the reforms and those who do not want [to continue them],” Abad said. With a report from Jovic Yee