Lakas-Kampi-CMD 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.

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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.

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Lito Lapid, a former movie actor, served as Pampanga governor from 1997 to 2003. During his term, he was accused of enriching himself in office with the lahar quarry funds. He, however, denied the allegations, saying the Ombudsman had cleared him in a case questioning the use of quarry funds.

In 2004, he ran and won as senator under the administration ticket K-4. He is the current chairman of the Senate Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports.

Last September, the actor-turned-politician announced that he would run for the gubernatorial post in his province.

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Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., born Jose Mikael Mortel Bautista, is the son of former senator and movie actor Ramon Revilla Sr. His political career began in 1995 when he ran as vice governor of Cavite with gubernatorial running mate, former National Bureau of Investigation director Epimaco Velasco.

Revilla was tapped by President Arroyo in 2002 to head the then Videogram Regulatory Board that is now Optical Media Board. During his stint, he was given a Plaque of International Recognition for Efforts Against Piracy by the Motion Picture Association of America and the Huwarang Lingkod Bayan Award by the Consumers League of the Philippines Foundation, Inc. in 2003 for his efforts to reduce optical media piracy.

In 2004, Mrs. Arroyo included him in the administration senatorial slate, K-4. He got the second highest number of votes next to Sen. Manuel “Mar" Roxas.

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Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico, national president of the 1,500-strong League of Municipalities of the Philippines, is the first cousin of President Arroyo from the side of her mother, Evangelina Macaraeg Macapagal who is from Binalonan.

He was among the local officials of the administration party who endorsed Revilla as running mate of the ruling party’s standard bearer Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Lakas-Kampi-CMD, however, chose Edu Manzano.

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Jesus “Jess" Arranza is the current president of Federation of Philippine Industries, a group of local manufacturers.

He served as Board of the Coconut Oil Refiners Association and Consultant to the Secretary of Interior and Local Government.

As head of the FPI, Arranza has been appealing for the patronage of Filipino products. He is also supportive of President Arroyo’s tax campaign. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV