Sen. Francis Pangilinan. INQUIRER FILE / RICHARD A. REYES
After supposed candidates of the Liberal Party (LP) denied interest in running for the Senate under the opposition, it was the turn of party president Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan to disown a list on the purported slate.
The supposed LP senatorial slate for 2019 circulating on social media was not an “official party position,” Pangilinan said Monday.
“That is not an official LP post. Perhaps there are people toying with the idea but that would be a personal view and is not an official party position,” the LP president said in a message to reporters.
The supposed LP slate included former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Sen. Bam Aquino, former Senators Teofisto Guingona III and Ramon Magsaysay Jr., former Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio, and former Quezon Rep. Erin Tañada.
Completing the list were Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Reps. Jose Christopher Belmonte of Quezon City and Kaka Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands, and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Magsaysay, Daza, Lagman and Belmonte said that they had no intention of running for the Senate in 2019.
READ: Magsaysay belies report he will run under LP in 2019
Pangilinan reiterated that the LP could not field its own candidates but it was considering joining forces with other groups to form “the broadest opposition coalition” next year.
“LP cannot do this alone and uniting with other groups and forces willing to coalesce to form the broadest opposition coalition is what needs to be done,” the senator said. /cbb
READ: Pangilinan pushes for ‘strong’ opposition coalition in 2019