By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Barely a year before the 2025 midterm polls, a veteran political strategist has revealed that former Senator Manny Pacquiao, ex-Senate President Tito Sotto, Speaker Martin Romualdez’s wife, and Tingog Sinirangan party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar-Genuino are most likely among the senatorial bets of a “super coalition” supportive of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr.
Veteran political strategist Lito Banayo expressed these possible senatorial contenders after President Marcos said on May 1 that his party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), is eyeing alliances with other political parties ahead of the midterm polls.
In his May 4 column for The Manila Standard, Banayo named the following as among the possible PBBM bets for the Senate:
Lakas-CMD: Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Romualdez, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez, and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.
Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC): Sotto, Pacquiao and Sen. Lito Lapid.
Nacionalista Party (NP): Villar-Genuino, retired colonel Ariel Querubin, a Medal of Valor awardee; and incumbent senators Imee Marcos and Pia Cayetano.
(el Amigo/MNM)
