Published January 22, 2018 9:46pm
By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday confirmed the candidacy of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and two other incumbent congressmen as senators under the banner of the ruling party PDP-Laban in the 2019 midterm elections.

In a television interview, Alvarez said Roque, a former Kabayan party-list representative, is already part of PDP-Laban's senatorial slate for 2019.

"Oo, sure na 'yun," said Alvarez, who serves as secretary-general of the party.

Aside from Roque, Alvarez named Representatives Karlo Nograles of Davao City and Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental as being part of the slate.

"Tatakbo talaga yun," he said of Nograles.

Alvarez first mentioned the names of Roque, Nograles and Benitez as running for senators under the party at a mass oath-taking event in Cebu last November.

Also included in the list, according to Alvarez, are Communications Associate Secretary Mocha Uson, Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman, and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chair Francis Tolentino.

While he confirmed Tolentino's candidacy under PDP-Laban, Alvarez said Uson was not yet sure.

The Speaker earlier said Uson was included in the list because she had "a genuine heart for the Filipino people."

He also said he was working on including Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano of Taguig City-Pateros in their senatorial line-up.

"Siyempre si Pia, kasamahan ko rin.... Hanapan ko ng paraan na talagang maisama siya sa slate," Alvarez said.

Alvarez said Cayetano was not yet a member of the PDP-Laban.

Following the release of the initial list of senatoriables under the party last November, President Rodrigo Duterte said it is better that Filipino voters decide for themselves who they will vote for senators in the coming 2019 elections. —NB, GMA News