MANILA - The camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio introduced on Thursday their initial list of senatorial candidates for this year's elections.
In a statement, Marcos spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said the UniTeam's senate slate initially includes the following:
- SAGIP Party-list representative Rodante Marcoleta
- Lawyer Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon
- Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri
- Former Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar
- Antique Representative Loren Legarda
- Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque
- Former Senator Jose Pimentel "Jinggoy" Estrada
- Former Defense Secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro
- Senator Sherwin Gatchalian
- Former Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista
Rodriguez said the list "represents a mixture of seasoned and proven political personalities who have excelled in their respective endeavors."
Gadon, who is making his third bid for the upper house, is a known Marcos supporter. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court suspended him over a viral video where he uttered profanities against journalist Raissa Robles.
Gadon questioned the high court's decision, saying he was suspended without due process.
Marcoleta is currently serving as a deputy speaker in the House of Representatives. He is one of the lawmakers who voted against granting ABS-CBN a new 25-year franchise in July 2020.
The BBM-Sara UniTeam noted that the party-list representative was "widely known" for "slashing" the Commission on Human Rights' budget to P1,000 in 2017.
The UniTeam meanwhile said the addition of Zubiri to its lineup had "bolstered" the tandem's position in Mindanao. It described the region as the Zubiri family's bailiwick.