The ruling Liberal Party (LP) has moved the impending announcement of its vice presidential candidate and senatorial slate to October 5, a party official said on Tuesday.
But LP Secretary General and Occidental Mindoro Representative Josephine Sato said the party convention set on Wednesday, September 30, at Club Filipino will still push through.
“The formal announcement of the LP presidential, vice presidential, and the Senate slate will be made on October 5, 2015,” Sato said.
“The Liberal Party will be holding its joint National Directorate/NECO meeting on September 30, 2015 in accordance with its constitution and bylaws and in compliance with the guidelines for holding political party conventions set by the Commission on Elections,” she added.
Last week, LP political affairs chief and Caloocan City Representative Edgar Erice said the party would formally introduce former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as its standard-bearer on Wednesday, months after he was endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III as the administration’s bet.
Erice added that Roxas’ running mate and the party’s complete senatorial lineup would also be announced on the said date.
READ: Liberal Party to announce Mar’s VP, senatorial slate on Sept. 28
Among the sure senatorial aspirants under LP are Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino, former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senators Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III, and former senator and food czar Francis Pangilinan.
Roxas has formally asked Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo to be his running mate in the 2016 elections, but the neophyte lawmaker said the September 30 deadline was too soon.
The LP had wooed poll frontrunner Senator Grace Poe to be its vice presidential bet, but the lady senator formally joined the presidential derby last September 16.
The party was also considering Senator Alan Peter Cayetano for its vice presidential bet, but the senator announced his bid for the vice presidency on Tuesday. CDG
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