Miriam-Bongbong senate slate in the works, wooing Pacquiao

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. INQUIRER PHOTOS/MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

More candidates want Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao to join their team in the 2016 elections.

While Pacquiao is reportedly running under Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, the tandem of Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is also considering the boxing champion in their senatorial slate.

During the weekly Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday, Marcos, who will run with Santiago for the vice presidency, said he had asked Pacquiao to join their 12-member senate lineup.

Those who have sure slots in the Miriam-Bongbong team are Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, Manila Vice Mayor Franciso “Isko Moreno” Domagoso and Susan Ople, who is also a candidate under Senator Grace Poe’s coalition.

But he said they have yet to decide who will fill the remaining slots for their coalition.

“There are several others; I don’t want to speak out dahil hindi pa areglado. The ones that I have mentioned are the names that we have more or less agreed upon already. May mga anim pa na hindi ko pa nababanggit. Dahil hindi pa nakakatiyak. We haven’t agreed. Not that we are disagreeing, it’s just that hindi naming na-finalize pa,” he explained.

‘High blood para sa mahina’

There’s “Daang Matuwid” for the Liberal Party and its presidential bet Mar Roxas and “Team Galing at Puso” for presidential candidate Poe’s coalition.

What would be the slogan of Santiago and Marcos? Marcos said they are considering “high blood para sa mahina.”

“Dahil pareho kami ni Senator Miriam. Pareho kaming may high blood pagka mayroon kaming nakikitang mga mahina at saka tatanga-tanga sa gobyerno. So, that’s one thing we have in common. So, maybe that will be our slogan,” the senator quipped.

Marcos and Santiago are planning to go around the country both together and separately once the campaign season starts.

“We will do both to cover greater ground. Pwede maghiwalay, but there are certain events that we feel it would be best for us to be together, we will do that,” he said.

Marcos is also coordinating with the lady senator’s husband Jun and her staff to “iron out details and discuss their schedules.”