MANILA - Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Friday released a nearly complete list of senatorial candidates in the 2022 elections whom he and presidential candidate and running mate Sen. Panfilo Lacson will be supporting.

The following candidates are:

• House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda
• Former senator JV Ejercito
• Sorsogon Gov. Francisco "Chiz" Escudero
• Former Quezon City mayor Herbert Bautista
• Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
• Sen. Joel Villanueva
• Sen. Migz Zubiri
• Sen. Richard "Dick" Gordon
• DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II
• Former Vice President Jojo Binay
• Manny Piñol
• Dr. Minguita Padilla
• Monsour del Rosario
• Powee Capino

Sotto said he will announce with Lacson their 15th "surprise" senatorial bet soon.

Presidential contender Vice President Leni Robredo earlier announced that she will be also supporting Escudero, Zubiri, Gordon, Villanueva and Binay.

Asked for a reaction, Sotto said: "Eh di good! They deserve to be in the Senate."

Robredo's camp earlier named as part of her slate, all long-time opposition figures, including Senate re-electionists who previously had differences with their Majority colleagues.

• Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV
• Re-electionist Sen. Risa Hontiveros
• Re-electionist Sen. Leila de Lima
• Lawyer Chel Diokno
• Former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat

Partido Reporma standard bearer and Sen. Panfilo Lacson earlier said he was "insulted" by Robredo's alleged attempt to snatch his vice presidential running mate during unity talks.

Robredo's camp tried to form a tandem with Sotto, Lacson said in the online "Pandesal Forum."

"Using hand motion, si Sen. [Franklin] Drilon mismo, tinuro si VP Leni at Tito Sotto na sila magka-tandem," he said

He said Robredo's unity talks "failed" because he felt that the main objective of the discussions was not to create a unified opposition ticket.

• Lacson says 'insulted' by Robredo's attempt to form 2022 tandem with Tito Sotto

Drilon denied making any gestures insinuating that Robredo and Sotto should run as a tandem for the 2022 elections.

"I do not recall those hand gestures attributed to me, much less the interpretation accorded to it," Drilon said in a statement.

Lacson's Partido Reporma has coalesced with Sotto's Nationalist People's Coalition, and Ronaldo Puno's National Unity Party for next year's polls.

— Reports from Sherrie Ann Torres and Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News

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