CEBU, Philippines – Former senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno bared plans to collaborate with local leaders in Cebu for the upcoming 2025 senatorial race, during a press conference on Friday, August 16.
In February, Liberal Party (LP) spokesperson Leila de Lima revealed that the party would field Pangilinan, Aquino, and Diokno as “opposition bets” for the mid-term elections, a key barometer on the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In the 2022 polls, the opposition again lost badly, with only then-candidate Risa Hontiveros from the Tropang Angat slate making it to the upper chamber. In the 2019 mid-term elections, none of the eight Otso Diretso candidates won a seat.
“I need friends in the Senate. We will stand together to fight for the Filipino people. We’ll be there for you,” Hontiveros told reporters as she introduced the three senatorial aspirants at the press conference.
“2025, I think, presents a perfect opportunity for progressive public servants like sir Kiko, sir Bam, and myself because we have seen how there is so much room for improvement in terms of our government and how we are functioning for our people,” Diokno, who will on his third attempt to win a Senate seat, said.
Aquino admitted that they have yet to field local candidates but saw opportunities for partnerships among leaders in the province.
“Mahalaga din ang mga local government leaders dito at aakyatin po namin, liligawan po namin sila, kakausapin at yung mga naging kaibigan din po namin, we know they will continue to support us,” Aquino said.
(Local government leaders here are also important and we will go to them, we will woo them, talk and for those that have become our friends, we know they will continue to support us.)
The former senator pointed out their good relationship with Cebu Vice Governor Hilario Davide III who expressed his support for the group’s senatorial bids. Davide is among the few LP officials in Cebu.
Starting early
“If we are to make a difference in 2025 and even beyond 2028, the presidential election, we have to start now. Not so much to present our candidates but to prepare and organize our machinery,” Pangilinan said.
In the 2022 elections, Cebu had around 3.2 million voters. The entire province gave the Uniteam tandem of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte their biggest win.
Pangilinan, opposition standard bearer Leni Robredo’s running mate, only got 247,093 votes while Duterte received 1,258,538 votes. The senatorial candidate with the most votes in the province was media personality Raffy Tulfo with 927,594 votes, followed by actor Robin Padilla with 924,326 votes.
Hontiveros placed 10th in Cebu with 579,148 votes.
Despite this, Aquino said the political landscape has changed, especially after the 2022 elections. He also recalled how the situation shifted after Robredo decided in early October 2021 that she would run for president.
“Ang hindi naaalala ng mga tao is before October 2021. Before October 2021, wala pa atang apat na porsyento o limang porsyento si [Robredo], we hit almost a third of the country by the end of the elections at nakita namin sa sariling mga mata na may mga taong handang tumaya at handang isantabi ang personal interes para sa pagmamahal na bayan,” the former senator said.
(What people don’t recall is before October 2021. Before October 2021, [former Vice President Leni Robredo] hadn’t reached four or five percent yet, we hit almost a third of the country by the end of the elections and we saw with our own eyes that there were people that were willing to risk it and willing to set aside personal interests for the love of their country.)
The challenge, he stressed, is to replicate the same energy for 2025. For this reason, Aquino said their group started reaching out early to leaders in provinces like Cebu.
“A big portion of the votes would have to come from here if we are to launch a successful campaign,” Pangilinan said.
“Now is the time to organize. Now is the time to recruit, to consolidate our volunteers, build that network so that we will come out stronger in the years to come. 2025 as a beachhead and then 2028 and beyond,” he added. – Rappler.com