NPC’s Sotto, Gatchalian file COCs for senator

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) is eyeing to expand the number of its elected members in government as two of its allies filed certificates of candidacy (COCs) for senator.

Re-electionist Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian filed their COCs on Wednesday at the Commission on Elections headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

Noting that he took his job in the Senate seriously, Sotto said he was hoping that Filipinos will trust him again.

“I took my job seriously. I was never late and absent. Hopefully, there will be more bills to file, there will be more debates, and more people to protect,” Sotto said in a short speech after filing his COC.

“I hope that our countrymen will trust me again,” he added.

Sotto was accompanied by his wife, actress Helen Gamboa, and Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, the vice presidential bet of the opposition party United Nationalist Alliance.

Sotto previously expressed support for the “Gr-Ingo” tandem, a play of words for presidential aspirant Sen. Grace Poe and Honasan.

Gatchalian, meanwhile, said he prioritize making education more accessible to more Filipinos like what he said he did in Valenzuela.

“Naniniwala po tayo, nakikita po natin na ang pinakamatibay na panlaban po sa kahirapan sa ating bansa ay ang edukasyon. ‘Yun po ang ating inilunsad sa Valenzuela at ‘yun po ang ating magiging adbokasiya,” he said.

Asked about which presidential candidate his party is going to support, Gatchalian said NPC will call for a press conference in the coming days.

“Magkakaroon po tayo ng pormal na anunsyo sa mga susunod na araw,” Gatchalian said.

While individual party members have expressed support for Poe and her running mate Sen. Francis Escudero, the NPC has yet to announce the tandem that it will officially endorse as a group.

The NPC is the second largest political party in the country next to the ruling Liberal Party.