More Cabinet members eyed as senatorial bets
03/21/2009 | 01:02 PM
MANILA, Philippines – A week after floating the names of four officials, Malacañang is eyeing at least four more possible senatorial timber for the administration’s slate in the 2010 elections.
But Press Secretary Cerge Remonde hinted that not all members of the first and second batches would end up in the final administration slate.
"I am not saying all of them will definitely run. I am just saying they are senatorial timber," he said on government-run dzRB radio, when told the Cabinet members might have to resign early should they declare their candidacy.
The second batch includes Secretaries Jesli Lapus (Education), Esperanza Cabral (Social Welfare) and Joseph Ace Durano (Tourism).
A fourth possible candidate is defeated senatorial bet Heherson Alvarez, a presidential adviser on climate change.
"He is a veteran in politics and a former senator," Remonde said of Alvarez.
Last week, Remonde said Malacañang was eyeing at four more officials, two of them department secretaries, for the administration’s senatorial slate in 2010.
These include Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Secretaries Arthur Yap (Agriculture) and Francisco Duque III (Health), and Technical and Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) head Augusto Syjuco.
Meanwhile, Remonde called again for an end to the “politics of hate," expecting the political scene to get hotter in the coming weeks.
"This is why we are making this call to politicians and political junkies. Let us try to conduct our political dialogue at a high level. Set aside politics because 2010 is still far away, and let us concentrate first on creating jobs for our people," he said. - GMANews.TV
But Press Secretary Cerge Remonde hinted that not all members of the first and second batches would end up in the final administration slate.
"I am not saying all of them will definitely run. I am just saying they are senatorial timber," he said on government-run dzRB radio, when told the Cabinet members might have to resign early should they declare their candidacy.
The second batch includes Secretaries Jesli Lapus (Education), Esperanza Cabral (Social Welfare) and Joseph Ace Durano (Tourism).
A fourth possible candidate is defeated senatorial bet Heherson Alvarez, a presidential adviser on climate change.
"He is a veteran in politics and a former senator," Remonde said of Alvarez.
Last week, Remonde said Malacañang was eyeing at four more officials, two of them department secretaries, for the administration’s senatorial slate in 2010.
These include Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Secretaries Arthur Yap (Agriculture) and Francisco Duque III (Health), and Technical and Educational Skills Development Authority (TESDA) head Augusto Syjuco.
Meanwhile, Remonde called again for an end to the “politics of hate," expecting the political scene to get hotter in the coming weeks.
"This is why we are making this call to politicians and political junkies. Let us try to conduct our political dialogue at a high level. Set aside politics because 2010 is still far away, and let us concentrate first on creating jobs for our people," he said. - GMANews.TV
