Actor-politicians, Arroyo men among admin senatorial bets

(Update 6 - 9:40 PM) A mix of showbiz and media personalities, incumbent Palace officials, a businessman, and a relative of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be included in the administration party's senatorial slate in the 2010 elections. Former administration party national president Eduardo Ermita on Wednesday said Lakas-Kampi-CMD had already picked seven of 12 senatorial candidates for next year's polls. They are:

• Action stars-turned senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr and Lito Lapid;
• Broadcaster and newspaper columnist Reynante "Rey" Langit;
• Cabinet secretary Silvestre Bello III and Health secretary Francisco Duque
• Jesus Arranza, president of the Federation of Philippine Industries, and
• Binaloan, Pangasinan Mayor Ramon Guico, Mrs. Arroyo's first cousin on her mother's side.

Ermita said the administration party remains open to “guest candidates." He said Lakas-Kampi-CMD "is seriously considering" the inclusion of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in the party slate because they “are competent, useful, and very … valuable political leaders." At least one political analyst believes that just like the ruling party's poor performance in the 2007 elections, most of Lakas-Kampi-CMD's senatorial bets will not make it in the 2010 polls. Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute of Political Reforms, describes the candidates as President Arroyo's "good soldiers." "Ito 'yung mga candidates na walang concern sa popularity or unpopularity ng President. In other words, they are good soldiers na gagawin nila...kung ano ang iutos sa kanila," Casiple told GMANews.TV in an interview on Tuesday. (They are the kind of candidates who have no concern over the popularity or unpopularity of the President. In other words, they are good soldiers who will do whatever they are asked to do.) Only three of the ruling party's senatorial candidates - Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, and Juan Miguel Zubiri - under Team Unity won in the 2007 elections. The President's critics claim that the winnability of administration candidates has since been affected by the "Hello, Garci" controversy that linked Mrs. Arroyo to massive poll cheating during the 2004 presidential elections. Before the 2005 controversy, seven of the 12 senatorial seats went to administration bets who ran under the K-4 or Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan coalition in the 2004 polls. The winning K-4 candidates were Manuel "Mar" Roxas; Richard Gordon; Pilar Juliana "Pia" Cayetano; Miriam Defensor Santiago; Rodolfo Biazon; Lapid; and Revilla. - GMANews.TV