HOUSE Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday, February 15, said he will convince Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go to run for senator in the 2019 midterm elections.
“I’d like to convince someone to run for senator. I’d like to convince Christopher Lawrence Go—do you know him? No? Do you know Bong Go who is always with the President? He’s the one who’s always taking selfie, the selfie king?” Alvarez told the more than 5,000 politcians who took their oath as PDP-Laban members in Bacong, Negros Oriental on Thursday.
Alvarez said he will persuade Go as PDP-Laban needs to have a Mindanaoan senatorial candidate in its line-up.
Alvarez urged the crowd to support the party's senatorial candidates, like Oriental Mindoro 2nd District Representative Reynaldo Umali, Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Sajid Mangudadatu, and Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Alfredo “Albee” Benitez.
The three lawmakers were present during the oath-taking ceremony.
Alvarez earlier disclosed that he also wanted to include in PDP-Laban's senatorial lineup the following: Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman, former Metro Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino, PCOO Assistant Secretary Margaux "Mocha" Uson, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. and Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles.
There has been no confirmation from these officials yet. Most of them earlier denied having any interest in the 2019 elections, but thanked Alvarez for considering them among the possible PDP-Laban senatorial candidates.
Uson earlier said she had no plan to run in the forthcoming polls while Roque said he does not have the means to run for the senatorial race.
Nograles, for his part, said it is too soon to tell if he will run for a Senate seat.
Alvarez urged the new members of the ruling party to support its senatorial ticket. He said the Senate needs new members to speed up processing of bills.
Alvarez previously called the Senate the "mabagal na kapulungan" (slow chamber) for sitting on priority bills, including the revival of the death penalty bill.
PDP-Laban has yet to finalize its senatorial slate for the 2019 polls. (SunStar Philippines)