‘Sereno a major boost to opposition’
Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno can boost the political fortunes of the opposition in the 2019 mid-term elections, Sen. Francis Panglinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party (LP) said, shortly after the Supreme Court upheld with finality last Tuesday its previous decision ousting her as Chief Justice through a quo warranto petition.
“And if she’s willing to help us lead, and she wishes to lead the opposition, we welcome all efforts at uniting the opposition so that we have a strong pushback in defending and upholding our democratic rights,’’ Pangilinan told Senate reporters.
Pangilinan said he has not talked to Sereno on her possible political plans after the Supreme Court decision last Tuesday.
He said the last time he talked to Sereno was when she took his oath of office after he won in the 2016 senatorial elections.
“She (Sereno) would be a good candidate sa aking palagay. We need strong women sa ating ticket at sa kagustuhan nating magkaroon na matibay-tibay at malakas na opposiyon (To me, she will make a good candidate. We need strong women in our ticket as we try to build a strong political opposition),” Pangilinan pointed out.
Pangilinan said the LP has been meeting prospective senatorial candidates through oneon-one meetings as the party needs to fill up the 12-man senatorial slate before the deadline for filing candidacies in the first week of October.
A 10-man slate will do if a ‘’Resistance Coalition’’ led by the LP cannot can not complete the desired 12 number of candidates.
Pangilinan identified the five ‘sure’ names in the opposition slate as incumbent Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Party List Rep. Gary Alejano, former Quezon Rep. Erin Tanada and Barry Gutierrez, and Dean Chel Diokno of the De La Salle University College of Law.
He said movie actress Agot Isidro has not made a decision on whether opr not to join the opposition slate.
Pangilinan added that he has yet to sit down actress Kris Aquino, daughter of the late President Corazon C. Aquino and the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., regarding her political plans.