Senate President Franklin Drilon. JOAN BONDOC/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
With six re-electionist and four returning senators, the 2016 senatorial race would not be a walk in the park for first-time candidates, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Monday.
Drilon said that he and five other incumbent senators had an 鈥渁dvantage of recall鈥� if all of them would seek another term next year.
Aside from him, the Senate leader said, the five other re-electionists are Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr., Senators Serge Osmena, Teofisto Guingona III, and Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III.
鈥淭here are four prospective 鈥榖alikbayan.鈥� Those are former senators Senator Kiko (Pangilinan), Senator (Panfilo) Ping (Lacson)鈥攊f he does not run for president鈥攆ormer Senator (Richard) Dick Gordon, and former Senator (Juan Miguel) Zubiri,鈥� Drilon said in an interview over the ABS-CBN 黑料社 Channel.
Gordon and Zubiri ran but lost during the 2013 senatorial derby.
Asked if 2016 would be a hard race for newcomers, Drilon said: 鈥淭hat鈥檚 correct.鈥�
Drilon said some of his colleagues whose terms would expire in 2016 were Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Pia Cayetano and Lito Lapid.