Benitez, Alunan included among the candidates

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III, who serves as president of the ruling PDP-Laban, yesterday submitted the party’s proposed senatorial line-up for the upcoming 2019 midterm elections to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Based on Pimentel’s document, dated August 15, among the names are two politicians from Negros Occidental, namely, Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez and former Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III.

The letter contained a total of 19 names, which do not include the five reelectionist senators.

Pimentel said in his letter, his reason for submitting the proposal was to get Duterte’s opinion on the senatorial slate the party is forming.

The senator added, he hopes party leadership can sit down with Duterte at the earliest possible time in order to discuss the proposal in preparation for the polls.

Benitez’s name has already been floated as a possible senatorial candidate for the 2019 elections. However, Benitez was also named as a possible candidate for Negros Occidental governor, alongside Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, his Love Negros partymate; and 2016 vice gubernatorial candidate and former Negros Occidental fifth district Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer of the United Negros Alliance.

Benitez has yet to announce his political plans for 2019.

Alunan, meanwhile, previously ran for senator in the 2016 national elections./DGB, WDJ