To also adopt Mikey Arroyo's Ang Galing Pinoy
MANILA, Philippines - A highly-placed source told ABS-CBN News that the ruling Lakas-Kampi CMD is adopting Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile and Vicente Sotto III in its senatorial slate.
When reached for comment, Lakas-Kampi party secretary-general Raymundo Roquero confirmed that the party will indeed adopt 3 more candidates in its senatorial ticket, but their names will be announced later.
Roquero also said the ruling Lakas Kampi-CMD is backing several party-list groups, including the party-list group nominating presidential son Mikey Arroyo to Congress.
Roquero said the names of the adopted senatorial bets will be announced later and will be contained in the sample ballots the party will release.
He said that since the national slate only has 6 senators, they have room to adopt 3 more. The rest of the slots for senator will be left vacant.
“In the last executive committee meeting, pinagusapan ang adoption ng 3 more senatorial candidates,” he said.
The party's local candidates will make the choice on who will fill the additional slots.
Support for Mikey's party-list
Likewise, Roquero also said the sample ballots will also contain the names of the party list groups they will back, which will be specific to the areas where these will be distributed according to the requests of local politicians.
“Hindi lang adopting. We have specific party-list in every province, every town. Merong party-list nasa preference ng local candidates,” he said. “Yes, of course, itong party-list [na] Ang Galing Pinoy (AGP) [ay] isa po sa mga party-list na ating susuportahan.”
Mikey Arroyo became the nominee of the AGP after his mother decided to run for his current congressional seat in the 2nd district of Pampanga, a move largely seen as just part of bigger plot to 'perpetuate' herself in power.
Sample ballots
Roquero said they will start printing the sample ballots tomorrow, but he admitted that they are having a hard time printing the ballots, since each area will have a different design under the automated election system.
“Meron na po tayong [sample ballots], sinismulan na po natin. Masyadong madugo pagapagawa ng sample ballots. Dati diretso lang, ngayon kailangan tama pa sa template ng Comelec. Kailangan pa ng educational campaign para tama pag-shade sa pwesto ng kandidato,” he said.
Sample ballots are part of the logistical support given by a party to their candidates. Roquero assured the party is giving all the necessary support to its members, including funds.
"It's all systems go for the party. Meron po tayong support [from the] local candidates, logistical at para sa pangangampaniya," he said. "Kasama na po iyan (money) sa supportang binigay “
Roquero sought to debunk reports that the party is slowly losing its members because of the lack of funding support, stressing more are actually joining the party.
“So far, despite the attempts by the opposition to lure them with promises of money and support, andiyan pa po sila. Spontaneous sila nagbibigay ng commitment na deliver ng boto kay Secretary Teodoro para siya next president of the Philippines,” he said.
Not losing members
Roquero sought to debunk reports that the party is slowly losing its members because of the lack of funding support, stressing more are actually joining the party.
“So far, despite the attempts by the opposition to lure them with promises of money and support, andiyan pa po sila. Spontaneous sila nagbibigay ng commitment na mag-deliver ng boto kay Sec. [Gilberto] Teodoro para siya [ang] next President of the Philippines," he said.
However, Roquero sought to distance the party from reports the President, who is also party president emeritus, has front-loaded the releases of pork barrel funds for congressmen to help them in their campaign. A congressman has P70 million pesos worth of pork barrel entitlements a year.
“Iyong lumabas na istorya 'di po natin alam yun. Pagkakaalam natin, on a regular basis may allocation [ang] mga congressmen. Dapat tanungin dito [ang] DBM. Wala po sa amin ang pork barrel because we are a party,” he said.
In Malacañang, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Charito Planas hedged a confirmation of the report. “There is always a release because the need is there. It’s in the 1st category. Those in the 1st category will be given the [allocation]. That’s the job of the budget to see that the funds that will be available will be in accordance of the priority.”
Planas said the P70 million figure is actually a "floor" figure, adding it can go higher depending on whether the congressman is a member or chairman of a committee. She however maintained that the releases had nothing to do with politics.
For his part, House Speaker Prospero Nograles said, “the January to june first half entitlements of the congressional district priority projects should be released to the districts of the congressmen cuz that’s the law provided by the general appropriations act.”
Roquero meantime stressed that the party is relying on the command votes of 106 unopposed or candidates who are running against “unknowns” in their positions.
There are 15 unopposed Lakas-Kampi CMD winners and 91 so-called virtual winners. They think these can deliver command votes of at least 11,000,973 for the national slate.