Admin coalition gains Gomez;loses Teodoro

Actor-sportsman Richard Gomez has been added to the list of possible senatorial candidates under the administration coalition party, GMANews.TV learned Wednesday. The ruling party, however, would lose top bet Tarlac Rep. Gilbert Teodoro, who reportedly has backed out to pursue the gubernatorial race in Tarlac. Gomez said he will run under the banner of Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC), part of the administration coalition in the coming mid-term election in May. The actor said Antonio “Tonyboy" Cojuangco, husband of actress Gretchen Barreto, backed him to become a member of the NPC. The party is headed by business tycoon Eduardo “Danding" Cojuangco. Gomez first ran as party-list nominee under Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga (MAD) in 2001. Although his MAD won in that election, Gomez failed to take a seat in Congress when Supreme Court disqualified the group. Prior to his senatorial plan, Gomez also announced his desire to run as governor or congressman in Bulacan. Gomez is not the first opposition personalities that jumped into the administration-allied NPC. Former senators Vicente “Tito" Sotto III and Tessie Aquino-Oreta recently left the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino to join the NPC. The two were reportedly being eyed by the administration to be part of its “unity ticket." Meanwhile, Presidential Chief of Staff Sec. Mike Defensor in a phone interview Wednesday revealed to GMANews.TV that Teodoro, House deputy majority leader, has abandoned his plan to run for senator. “I don’t know the reason why. But I think his family has other plans for him," said Defensor, one of the administration senate bet. Teodoro, in a text message to GMANews.TV, said he is still weighing his options and would announce his decision soon. Filadelfo Diaz, chief of staff of Teodoro, in a separate text message, admitted that some members of the family want the lawmaker to run for governor of Tarlac. Teodoro is said to be the “favorite" nephew of Danding Cojuangco. Teodoro is a bar topnocher and a Harvard graduate. Teodoro’s cousin, Rep. Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, is included in United Opposition Senate slate. Other UNO Senate bets are former senators Loren Legarda; John Osmeña; Sen. Ping Lacson; Reps. Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano; San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito and lawyer Aquilino “Koko" Pimentel. The remaining four slots are reserve for the Senate’s Wednesday group composed of reelectionist senators Manny Villar, Joker Arroyo, Francis Pangilinan and Ralph Recto, according to Radio DZBB source. Defensor welcomed the new development in the UNO senatorial slate. “OK, that’s good. Good luck to all of us. I hope our electorate will choose the candidates based on performance," he said. Defensor added that administration senatorial slate will be announced on last day of filing of certificate of candidacy, which is Feb. 12. Aside for Defensor and Teodoro, other possible candidates of the administration are Reps. Miguel Zubiri; Prospero Pichay; Sigaw ng Bayan spokesman lawyer Raul Lambino, Zambales Gov. Vicente Magsaysay; Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson and Optical Media Board chairman Edu Manzano.- GMANews.TV