By VANNE ELAINE TERRAZOLA
SENATOR Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III has formally asked President Duterte to look into the possible candidates of the Partido Demokratiko ng Bayan-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) for the 2019 senatorial elections.
In a letter dated Aug. 15, 2018, Pimentel, PDP-Laban president, sought President Duterte’s opinion on the shortlist of 24 names for their senatorial slate in the May, 2019 midterm polls.
The letter mentioned personalities known to be allies of the Chief Executive, including Pimentel, who will be seeking his third term, and Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go; former MMDA chairman and Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino; Representative Karlo Nograles; Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu; Rep. Geraldine Roman; Rep. Monsour del Rosario; Rep. Alfredo Benitez; Rep. Dakila Cua; musician Freddie Aguilar, and journalist Jiggy Manicad.
Pimentel also cited non-PDP-Laban members, whom he described as “friends of the party.” They were Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio; Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque; Rep. Pia Cayetano; former senators Lito Lapid, former Interior secretary Rafael Alunan, former police chief and Bureau of Corrections chief Gen. Ronald dela Rosa; broadcaster Ramon Tulfo, actor Robin Padilla.
The PDP-Laban leader, on Thursday, urged Duterte-Carpio to run for a Senate seat in 2019, despite repeated denial from the presidential daughter that she will run as senator.
Pimentel also endorsed to the President the five reelectionist senators in the Senate’s majority bloc, namely: Sens. Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Grace Poe, and Cynthia Villar.
He told Duterte that the senators were “generally supportive of your administration.”
Pimentel, in his letter, also asked the President for a meeting on the matter “at the earliest possible time” to prepare for the elections.