Last LP senatorial slot reserved for Pacquiao

The last slot on the senatorial slate of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) is reserved for boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, according to a senior LP official.

“The (LP) is still waiting for Manny Pacquiao’s decision. It’s really up to him if he wants to join us,” said the source, who agreed to talk on Friday on condition of anonymity.

“I hope he will grab this opportunity to help us serve the people by expanding and strengthening the ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path),” he said, using the code name for the Aquino administration’s reform program.

LP presidential candidate Mar Roxas confirmed yesterday that the party was still courting the Filipino boxing icon, who may also opt to seek a third and last term as representative of Sarangani province in the House of Representatives.

Pacquiao, winner of eight world titles in as many weight divisions, announced on Monday night that he was running for the Senate in next year’s national elections.

The boxing champion did not say if he was joining a major political party.

On Wednesday, he said he would retire from boxing after one last fight before the elections to focus on his political career, hopefully as a senator.

Roxas said the LP-led administration coalition, which will be officially called “Daang Matuwid Coalition,” would field at least seven LP members in the senatorial race.

Asked about the possibility of Pacquiao joining the coalition, Roxas said: “It’s possible.”

Roxas said he spoke with the boxing champion “two nights ago,” but declined to disclose what he discussed with Pacman.

Bautista withdraws

The LP had planned to announce its senatorial lineup on Friday, but the withdrawal of Quezon City Mayor Herbert “Bistek” Bautista and the departure of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Francis Tolentino delayed the announcement till next Monday.

Bautista told a television talk show on Friday that he had decided to run for reelection.

But Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice said Bautista opted out of the senatorial race for still unknown reasons.

“It was Mayor Bautista who approached us. He said he was interested in running for the Senate, that’s why we considered him,” Erice told the Inquirer.

Roxas said the party would respect the mayor’s decision.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, an LP stalwart, said Bautista’s withdrawal caught him by surprise.

“We did not ask him to run for the Senate. It was he who sought P-Noy (President Aquino) early this year and asked to be included in the slate,” Abad said in a text message.

“We were surprised because he had one more term as mayor. For nine months, we assumed that. Then this sudden turnaround,” he said.

Tolentino out

President Aquino accepted Tolentino’s resignation on Thursday, a week after the

MMDA chief came under fire from women’s groups for allegedly putting on a barnyard show featuring the sexy dance group Playgirls during an LP event in Santa Cruz, Laguna province, on Oct. 1.

Tolentino denied sponsoring the show but resigned from the MMDA just the same and asked the LP to take him out of the party’s senatorial slate.

In a letter dated Oct. 8, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa informed Tolentino that the President had approved his resignation “effective immediately.”

“We thank you for your valuable and dedicated service to the government,” Ochoa said.

The two departures left the LP senatorial slate a work in progress.

According to Erice, Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon, an LP member and a former senator, had also been taken in along with fellow LP stalwarts and reelectionist Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senators Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III.

Like Biazon, another former senator, Francis Pangilinan, most recently food security secretary, had also been nominated by the LP to make a return to the Senate.

Erice said former rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson, former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Joel Villanueva and outgoing Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had also been assured slots on the LP slate.

De Lima joins LP

De Lima joined the LP on Friday, sworn in by party vice chair Drilon.

“It’s a great honor to join you in the Liberal Party,” De Lima said in a brief speech.

“I have decided to face this new challenge in my life. I will join no other political party but the LP,” she said.

Eighty local officials from Bulacan, La Union, Bataan, Laguna, North Cotabato, Zamboanga del Norte and Siquijor were also sworn in as new members of the LP.

Filling the first 11 slots are Philippine Tourism Authority chief Mark Lapid, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros and former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, he said.

Sources said President Aquino was convincing Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Kim Henares to run for the Senate.

Sought for comment by reporters yesterday, Henares said she had said “no, so far” to invitations for her to run for senator with the LP.

Roxas said the complete senatorial lineup would be announced next Monday.

Standards

“President Aquino and the rest of us in the coalition believe that whoever will be included (in the senatorial lineup) will be somebody who will be worthy of our trust to be introduced as a candidate of the straight path,” he said.

“They should be competent, with integrity and has strong belief in the specific causes we’re supporting,” he added.

Abad said prospective candidates were being vetted for standards set by President Aquino, Roxas and his running mate, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

“That’s what makes the process difficult,” he said.

Abad said the coalition was “determined to finish the vetting by Monday.” With a report from Ben O. de Vera