AT least 17 running for Senate has been endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte in a during his speech at the PDP-Laban proclamation rally in Cebu on Thursday.
However, Duterte reiterated in the same event that he was not endorsing a candidate for president.
Most of the aspirants are part of the PDP-Laban aligned with him and the UniTeam tandem of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Duterte, during his speech at the PDP-Laban proclamation rally in Cebu on Thursday, said he is supporting the following senatorial aspirants:
former PACC chief Greco Belgica
former House speaker Allan Peter Cayetano
Sorsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero
former senator Jinggoy Estrada
former senator JV Ejercito
former senator Gringo Honasan
broadcaster Rey Langit
Deputy House Speaker Loren Legarda
House Deputy Speaker Rodante Marcoleta
actor Robin Padilla
former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador “Sal” Panelo
former Energy Undersecretary Astra Pimentel
former Palace spokesperson Harry Roque
former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro
Senator Joel Villanueva
former DPWH secretary Mark Villar
Senator Miguel Zubiri
Among those Duterte named, only Belgica, Langit, Marcoleta, Padilla, Panelo, and Pimentel are part of the PDP-Laban Cusi wing’s slate.
Meanwhile, Jinggoy Estrada, Honasan, Legarda, Roque, Teodoro, Villar, and Zubiri are part of the UniTeam senatorial lineup.
Duterte did not formally endorse former Agrarian Reform secretary John Castriciones during the event, who is on the slate of PDP-Laban.
He mentioned Castriciones, though, whom he designated to oversee the distribution of land titles to former rebels.
“He’s not here right now. I distributed about 100,000 plus. All the government-owned lands, I really gave it all. I’ve distributed about 300,000 land titles,” he said of the official.
