Actor-politicians, Arroyo men among admin senatorial bets

By AIE BALAGTAS SEE, GMANews.TV

Published November 18, 2009 2:09pm

(Update 6 - 9:40 PM) A mix of showbiz and media personalities, incumbent Palace officials, a businessman, and a relative of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be included in the administration party's senatorial slate in the 2010 elections.

ADMIN SENATORIAL BETS

Francisco Duque III has been serving the administration for the last nine years. His stint began in June 2001 after he was appointed as president and chief executive officer of the PhilHealth Insurance Corporation. He became Cabinet Secretary in 2004 before he was appointed Health Secretary the following year. His appointment at the DOH, however, was only confirmed three years after. Duque is also among the Cabinet secretaries who were grilled by the Senate for spending millions of pesos in public funds for infomercials.

Rey Langit is a multi-awarded journalist and a main anchorman for the nationally aired DWIZ882kHz AM Radio Station. In 2003, he was implicated in the alleged smuggling of used clothes (ukay-ukay) in the country. The Presidential Security Group reportedly seized some P2-million worth of used clothes from the Philippine Connection Inc., a company that was established by the veteran journalist in 1992.

Learn about the other senatorial bets of the administration party here.

Former administration party national president Eduardo Ermita on Wednesday said Lakas-Kampi-CMD had already picked seven of 12 senatorial candidates for next year's polls. They are:

Action stars-turned senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr and Lito Lapid;
Broadcaster and newspaper columnist Reynante "Rey" Langit;
Cabinet secretary Silvestre Bello III and Health secretary Francisco Duque
Jesus Arranza, president of the Federation of Philippine Industries, and
Binaloan, Pangasinan Mayor Ramon Guico, Mrs. Arroyo's first cousin on her mother's side.

Ermita said the administration party remains open to â€œguest candidates." He said Lakas-Kampi-CMD "is seriously considering" the inclusion of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in the party slate because they â€œare competent, useful, and very â€¦ valuable political leaders." At least one political analyst believes that just like the ruling party's poor performance in the 2007 elections, most of Lakas-Kampi-CMD's senatorial bets will not make it in the 2010 polls. Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute of Political Reforms, describes the candidates as President Arroyo's "good soldiers." "Ito 'yung mga candidates na walang concern sa popularity or unpopularity ng President. In other words, they are good soldiers na gagawin nila...kung ano ang iutos sa kanila," Casiple told GMANews.TV in an interview on Tuesday. (They are the kind of candidates who have no concern over the popularity or unpopularity of the President. In other words, they are good soldiers who will do whatever they are asked to do.) Only three of the ruling party's senatorial candidates - Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, and Juan Miguel Zubiri - under Team Unity won in the 2007 elections. The President's critics claim that the winnability of administration candidates has since been affected by the "Hello, Garci" controversy that linked Mrs. Arroyo to massive poll cheating during the 2004 presidential elections. Before the 2005 controversy, seven of the 12 senatorial seats went to administration bets who ran under the K-4 or Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan coalition in the 2004 polls. The winning K-4 candidates were Manuel "Mar" Roxas; Richard Gordon; Pilar Juliana "Pia" Cayetano; Miriam Defensor Santiago; Rodolfo Biazon; Lapid; and Revilla. - GMANews.TV

Tags: 2010elections, eleksyon2010, lakaskampicmd, 2010polls