By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, Oct. 12 (PNA) – Senate President Franklin Drilon on Monday said the endorsement by President Benigno Aquino IV will play crucial role to the goal of the Senate to continue the reforms that the President implemented for the last five years.
”The endorsement is important. A lot of reforms (under President Aquino) are being supported by the Senate. These will be pushed by the next Congress,” Drilon said in a media interview after the announcement of the Liberal Party’s 12 senatorial candidates at the LP headquarters in Quezon City.
Drilon led the 12 senatorial aspirants under the ruling party’s ‘Daang Matuwid’ (straight path) team led by presidential candidate Manuel ‘Mar’ Roxas II and his running mate Leni Robredo.
Other LP senatorial candidates are re-electionists Ralph Recto and Teofisto ‘TG’ Guingona III, former senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, former congresswoman Riza Hontiveros, former Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Secretary Joel Villanueva, Senator Lito Lapid’s son Mark Lapid, and two unknown candidates Nariman Ambolodto and Cresente Paez.
”This is a coalition of ‘Daang Matuwid’, not only by the LP, but by everybody who believes on the programs of Daang Matuwid by President Aquino,” Drilon said.
Drilon said the ruling party has prepared plans to introduce to the voters their new candidates, particularly Ambolodto and Paez.
”We believe that with our six-month campaign, they will introduced properly to the people and they will prove that they deserve the support of our countrymen,” Drilon said.
Drilon said he would file his certificates of candidacy on Tuesday. (PNA)