Looming battle royale among 2019 senatoriables
Next year, we shall witness a major showdown between the LP (or what still remains of them) of PNoy as the opposition party, and the super majority coalition of PDP-Laban of the Duterte-Pimentel-Alvarez triumvirate and the NP of the Villars and the Marcoses as the administration party. It will be very exciting because the standard bearers of the opposition may be Bam Aquino and Grace Poe, together with Nancy Binay. The administration shall be led by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, together with four powerful women: comebacking Pia Cayetano, incumbent Cynthia Villar, Davao Mayor Sarah Duterte, and Ilocos Governor Imee Marcos. I would love to see a Cebuano like Serge Osmeña or Gwen Garcia in that lineup.
The Philippine Senate, after the 2019 mid-term elections, shall no longer see four incumbent senators as they are barred from re-election having completed three successive terms. They are senators Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes IV (Senator Dick Gordon and resigned Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte should be very happy), Francis Escudero, and Gregorio Honasan. The last three being Bicolanos, Region 5 shall cease to be overrepresented, with only detained Leila de Lima as the remaining Bicol senator. Vice President Leni Robredo is also from that region.
Completing the PDP's lineup are most probably Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, Karlo Nograles, Harry Roque, Mocha Uson (why, oh why, Manong Rody), Francis Tolentino, Jinggoy Estrada (should he run with his half-brother, JV?). The following are reserves: GMA, Bong Revilla, Vit Aguirre of DOJ, Gen. Bato dela Rosa, the transgender Geraldine Roman of Bataan, Rody Farinas, Rey Umali, Erwin Tulfo, and Martin Romualdez. My bet is that DOLE Secretary Bebot Bello is also aspiring. Also Francis Tolentino, the guy who almost edged out De Lima and got more votes than TG Guingona III in 2016.
The opposition will have to consider Edcel Lagman from Bicol. If I were them I would include Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, and Erin Tanada of Quezon. I also suggest they include a Muslim. The way I look at it, not too many bets are interested to run under LP. Why? Lack of logistics. It is not easy to fight the incumbent super majority, with the president himself campaigning for PDP-Laban. The Estradas have a big problem. Allowing both Jinggoy and JV to run together may hurt both. JV should run for San Juan mayor because his mom Guia might lose to the son of Rep. Ronnie Zamora. Erap should summon the half-brothers and decide. It is like deciding between two mothers: Guia or Loi.
I am excited for them, but sad that Cebu will (again) not be represented in the Senate of 2019. Sayang.
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