Liberal Party (LP) Chairman Vice President Leni Robredo said on Tuesday that they can field less than 12 senatorial candidates and would not endorse individuals just for the sake of completing the slate.
鈥淗indi pa nase-settle iyong kaunting debate kung pupunuin ba o hindi iyong 12. Marami iyong naniniwala na hindi kailangang punuin iyong 12 just for the sake na pupunuin (The debate on whether the 12 slots will be filled up has not been settled. Many believe that we don鈥檛 really have to fill all the slots),鈥� Robredo told reporters after LP鈥檚 National Executive Council Meeting at Quezon City.
鈥淜ung palagay namin anim, o pito, o walo [鈥 iyon iyong pagdedesisyunan (If we think there will only be six, seven or eight who deserve to be in the ticket, then we will decide on that),鈥� she added.
According to Robredo, there were 18 initial candidates who were being screened by an advisory council. As of now, only incumbent Senator Bam Aquino, former Quezon Representative Erin Ta帽ada, and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno were named as official LP senatorial bets to the 2019 midterm elections.
鈥淚yong una kong nakitang listahan ay 18. Hindi ko alam kung may dagdag pa iyon o may bawas. Hindi pa sa akin formally tinu-turnover (The list that I saw had 18 names. I don鈥檛 know if more will be added or some will be taken off the list. It hasn鈥檛 been formally turned over to me),鈥� she said.
鈥淎ng usapan, iyong united coalition鈥攔epresentatives ng iba鈥檛 ibang grupo na nandoon鈥攎ayroong nag-form ng isang advisory council na sila iyong nagmi-meet regularly (We agreed that representatives of the united coalition would form an advisory council that will meet regularly),鈥� she added.
With regards to forming coalitions with other opposition parties, she said that they need to discuss it.
鈥淧arang mahirap para sa akin mag-comment na wala iyong iba nating kasamahan, kasi iyong papel ko hindi na lang bilang Chairperson ng Liberal Party, pero iyong Liberal Party bilang isa sa mga miyembro ng koalisyon (It鈥檚 difficult for me to comment without my colleagues because my role is no longer as chairperson of the Liberal Party but as a member of the coalition),鈥� she noted.
Other candidates
During the event, Robredo said she sees another possible senator in Samira Gutoc, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission who resigned after President Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 rape jokes.
However, there are constraints to her candidacy, such as funding and other more concerns, including the aftermath of the Marawi siege.
鈥淯na, panggastos. Kasi si Samira ay biktima ng Marawi Siege. IDP (internally displaced person) din siya. Maraming kahirapan (The first problem is funding because Samira is a victim of the Marawi siege. She is also an聽IDP),鈥� Robredo explained.
She added that they have explained to Samira what they are looking for and that diversity is important.
The vice president added that they respect the decision of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to focus on her advocacy and not on politics.
鈥淣abasa natin iyong kaniyang pahayag na mas inclined siyang hindi tumakbo. Mas gusto niyang maging active sa adbokasiya niya na pushing for moral transformation (We read her statement that she is not inclined to run for public office but to stay active and focused on his advocacy for moral transportation),鈥� she said.
鈥淭ayo naman, ginagalang natin iyon. Hindi natin alam kung final na iyon (We are doing the best we can, but nothing is final),鈥� she added. /ee