The party-list coalition in Congress endorsed six senatorial bets in the 2016 elections. MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB/INQUIRER.net
The party-list coalition in the House of Representatives endorsed six senatorial candidates for the 2016 elections, and may possibly urge for bloc voting.
In a press conference Tuesday, Ako Bicol Rep. and coalition spokesperson Rodel Batocabe said the six who the coalition believes should be senators are Coop Natcco Rep. Cresante Paez, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, ACT-CIS Rep. Samuel Pagdilao, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Chair Joel Villanueva, Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
Batocabe said the coalition can deliver 15 million votes from their members.
“Sa aming first process, napagkasunduan na ang Partylist Coalition ay susuportahan ang aming mga kasapi na tumatakbo bilang senador. Sa aming pangalawang proseso–ang botohan–lumabas si Sherwin Gatchalian and Martin Romualdez, yun ang napagkasunduan namin,” Batocabe said.
(During our initial process, we have agreed that the Partylist Coalition will support our members who are running for senatorial seats. In our second process–voting–came up with Sherwin Gatchalian and Martin Romualdez, that’s what we agreed upon.)
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Except for Gatchalian and Romualdez, who are district representatives, the rest are former and incumbent party-list representatives who are members of the coalition.
The coalition is composed of some 40 party-list representatives allied with the administration.
The coalition did not endorse Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, who is seeking a Senate seat under the banner of Senator Grace Poe. The seven-member Makabayan bloc is not part of the coalition.
Cibac Rep. Sherwin Tugna said the coalition may require its members to vote for all the six candidates — like bloc-voting — so that the candidates may sweep the slate despite not leading in the voters’ preference polls.
“There is a possibility we may consider only the six candidates,” Tugna said.
Paez, Hontiveros and Villanueva are among the senatorial candidates of the administration’s Liberal Party. They are part of the coalition “Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid.”
Pagdilao and Gatchalian belong to the senatorial slate of Senator Grace Poe. Romualdez is a guest candidate of Vice President Jejomar Binay under the United Nationalist Alliance. CDG