Tito Sotto

Vicente "Tito" Castelo Sotto III (born August 24,

1948) is a Filipino politician and the 29th and
current Senate President of the Philippines. Sotto served
as Vice Mayor of Quezon City, the Philippines' most
populous city, from 1988 to 1992. Following the 2016
elections, he is currently serving his fourth term in
the Senate, having served two consecutive terms from
1992 to 2004; he was re-elected to the Senate in 2010.
Aside from politics, Sotto also participated in
acting and hosting. Sotto is a co-host of Eat Bulaga!, the
longest-running variety show in Philippine television
history. He is the brother of celebrities Vic Sotto, Val Sotto, and Maru Sotto; he is also a
[2]

grandson and grandnephew of former Senators Vicente Y. Sotto and Filemon Sotto.

Quezon City
Sotto was vice mayor of Quezon City from 1988 to 1992. He founded the Vice-Mayors' League
of the Philippines and served as its first president. During this period, Sotto was also named
Vice Chairman of Citizens' Drugwatch.

First two terms in Senate (1992–2004)

Sotto was elected to the Senate of the Philippines in the 1992 senatorial election, topping the
tally with nearly 12 million votes, more than 3 million more than his second place ranker. This
made him the third member of his family to enter the Senate, after his grandfather Vicente Yap
Sotto and granduncle Filemon Sotto. He served as Assistant Majority Floor Leader, was a
member of the Commission on Appointments, and served as chairman on several senate
committees. In the 1998 senatorial election, Sotto earned another term in the Senate with a
third place finish, the best result among Senators vying for re-election.
From April 30 to May 1, 2001, together with Juan Ponce Enrile, Gregorio
Honasan, PanfiloLacson and Miriam Defensor Santiago, he led the EDSA III protests in support
of Joseph Estrada. On May 1, 2001, the protesters stormed Malacañang Palace. In spite of this,
he ran for another term in the Senate in 2007 under the TEAM Unity coalition backed by
the Arroyo administration, but was unsuccessful, finishing in 19th place.

Arroyo Cabinet
Sotto was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a member of the Board of
Directors and acting chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board on July 4, 2008, succeeding
Anselmo Avenido whose term was expiring that day. The appointment was just over one year
after his failed 2007 senatorial bid. Philippine election laws forbid defeated candidates from
being appointed to government posts within a year of the election.

Third term in Senate (2010–2016)

Sotto won election to another term in the Philippine Senate in the 2010 senatorial
election, as a member of the Nationalist People's Coalition.
Upon the commencement of the 15th Congress on July 26, 2010, he was elected by the
majority of his fellow Senators as the Majority Leader of the Senate as well as the
Chairman of its Committee on Rules, thus he manages the legislative affairs of the
Senate, particularly on the floor during the sessions. He was also one of the 20 Senators
that voted to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona and to remove him from office on 29
May of that year.

Sotto in 2012
In 2012, Sotto was accused of plagiarizing several passages in a speech opposing the Reproductive
Health Bill in the Philippine Senate.
Several local and international news agencies and several internet users reported that Sotto had
taken the passages from a 2011 blog entry by Sarah Pope, an American home economist blogger.
Sotto asserted that he was quoting Natasha Campbell-McBride, who was referenced in the blog post.
Pope, upon learning of the controversy, confirmed Sotto's plagiarism on August 16, 2012 in another
entry to her blog, strongly criticizing Sotto for the plagiarism, for denying it, and for his stance on
contraceptives. She also remarked that she did not intend to sue.
On August 17, Sotto reasserted his defense saying: "I made a blanket disclosure. I mentioned
beforehand my attributions, that I had many sources (of information in my speech) so I have
admitted that. I have made a disclosure, so what’s their problem with that? They probably thought
I’m trying to pass myself off as knowledgeable (on the subject) when in fact I’m not, supposedly,
Where is the plagiarism there? They think that’s plagiarism. So come on, sue me." Villacorta said he
saw nothing wrong with using Pope’s blog without attribution because it "is public domain" and
"blogs are not covered by copyright. It is a new media and there is no jurisprudence yet." In an
interview on the Philippine newscast 24 Oras, Sotto remarked:
"Whatever it is, the buck stops with me, I'm the senator. Whatever I delivered in the Senate Hall is
what's important. Whatever they say, we'll take it in stride."
Sotto also reiterated that his privilege speech under the protection of the Article 6 Section 11 of
the Philippine Constitution — which states that "No member (of Congress) shall be questioned nor
be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Congress or in any committee
thereof." In an interview on the Philippine newscast The World Tonight, Pope remarked:
"He is acting as though he's above the law, that he is above copyright law, that he can do whatever
he wants, he can step on whoever he wants, to get his agenda through the Philippine legislature.
That's just wrong, that's very poor behavior. I hope the Filipino people take note of this behavior and
subsequent denial on his bad behavior on the part of Senator Sotto. Think about this when they go to
the election booths when he's up for reelection.
A South China Morning Post journalist, Raissa Robles, also pointed out that Sotto plagiarized five bloggers
and a briefing paper — which includes a blog titled The Truth of Contraceptives, a blog titled Feminists for
Choice, a blog titled Talking Sense by Marlon Ramirez, a New York University blog publishing works
by birth control activist Margaret Sanger, and a briefing paper published by the Catholic Family and Human
Rights Institute. Robles also remarked that Sotto would be championing digital piracy, she remarked: "Atty.
Villacorta said that the Internet is free. (sic) This would mean that Senator Sotto would be championing
digital piracy"
On November 9, 2012, Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of late American senator Robert F. Kennedy and
president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, wrote a public letter to Senator
Sotto accusing him of flagrantly and deceptively plagiarizing the Robert F. Kennedy's 1966 Day of
Affirmation speech in his remarks to the Philippine Senate last September 5, 2012.[42] Sotto has since issued
an apology to the Kennedy family, but tenaciously refused to admit that he committed plagiarism in his
speech. Sotto reasoned that the allegedly plagiarized passage was obtained from a text message sent by a
Christian leader, which he then translated into Filipino as he found it fit for his speech without knowing that
the words were Kennedy's. He also argued that he never claimed the ideas and words as his own, therefore
he did not plagiarize.[43]
Sotto was one of the two senators who have inserted provision on libel under the Cybercrime Prevention Act
of 2012 or Anti-Cybercrime Law. However, he denied that he did so in retaliation for the "cyberbullying" he
received from Filipino netizens who criticized his alleged plagiarisms. Instead, he claimed that he intended
to penalize those who release celebrity sex tapes and to allow the corresponding victims to seek redress.
In July 2013, at the end of the 15th congress, Sotto resigned as the Majority Leader following the resignation
of Juan Ponce Enrile, his staunch political mentor, as Senate President. Enrile resigned due to allegations of
misusing the Senate funds. Then assistant majority leader Senator Gregorio Honasan became the acting
Majority Leader following Sotto's resignation.
On the commencement of the session of the 16th Congress, on July 22, 2013, Sotto became part of the new
Senate minority group. He was chosen by his colleagues in the minority to be the Deputy Floor Leader,
second-in-command to Enrile who became the Minority Leader. On July 2014, following Enrile's arrest on
charges of plunder relating to the pork barrel scam, Sotto became the acting Minority Floor Leader. Enrile
resumed his position as the Minority Floor Leader after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in August
2015.
In 2013, Sotto filed a bill that would mandate all government and non-government employees to receive a
14th month of annual salary. Responding to the Department of Labor and Employment claims that the bill
would worsen unemployment if implemented, Sotto said that the existing 13th month pay is not truly a
bonus because there are actually 13 months in a year. "There are 52 weeks in a year divide it by four weeks
in a month. Thirteen months."

Fourth term in Senate (2016–present)

Senator Sotto was re-elected in the 2016 elections. With 17.2 million votes, he finished in third
place for the twelve contested senate seats. On July 25, 2016, during the opening of the 17th
Congress, Sotto was again elected as Majority Leader. He was also elected as chairman of the Senate
committee on rules and the Senate committee on ethics and privileges. Being a member of the NPC,
Sotto is part of the "supermajority" coalition led by the PDP–Laban, the political party of
President Rodrigo Duterte and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

Grace Poe
Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-
Llamanzares (baptized September 3, 1968)
 is a Filipina senator, businesswoman, educator, and philanthropist. She is the adopted
daughter of actors Susan Roces and Fernando Poe Jr. She served as chairperson of
the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) from 2010 to 2012
and in the Philippine Senate since 2013.
Poe studied at the University of the Philippines Manila, where she majored
in development studies, but moved to Boston College in Massachusetts, United States
where she finished a degree in political science and has spent much of her adult life
in Fairfax, Virginia. In 2004, her adoptive father ran for the Philippine
presidency against the incumbent, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but was defeated; he died
months later. On April 8, 2005, Grace returned to the Philippines after learning that
her father had died. She began pursuing her father's rights over the results of the
election and campaigned against alleged electoral fraud.
Poe ran for a seat in the Philippine Senate during the election in 2013 as an
Independent affiliated with the Team PNoy coalition of Aquino. She ended up winning
more votes than other candidates and over 20 million votes, ahead of Loren Legarda,
who previously topped two elections. She was a candidate for the 2016 presidential
election. Despite numerous attempts to have her disqualified, the Supreme Court of the
Philippines deemed her a natural-born Filipino citizen and she is qualified to become
President based on her 10-year residency. Poe was placed third in the Presidential Race
count.

In 2003, her adoptive father, Fernando Poe, Jr. announced that he was entering
politics, running for President of the Philippines in the upcoming election under the Koalisyon
ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) against then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Poe
returned to the Philippines to help him campaign, but returned to the United States afterward.
Fernando Poe, Jr. was rushed to the hospital after a stroke later that year.[12] Grace immediately
returned to the Philippines, only to arrive shortly after her father had died on December 14,
2004. Following her father's death, Poe and her family decided to return permanently to the
Philippines on April 8, 2005, in order to be with her widowed mother.

Freedom of Information
Poe is the main proponent of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill and the official face of the
government transparency movement in the Philippines. She has been pushing the enactment of
the bill on the very first day she was elected as senator.

Federalism
Poe is for the country's shift to federalism unless an anti-political dynasty law is passed. She
sees a federal Philippines without an anti-dynasty law as a nation that would perpetuate
political dynasties and prolong their existence.
Taxes and Labor
Poe is in favor of lowering income taxes as she sees it as a burden to the masses. She is against
contractualization, stating that the practice is anti-poor.

Political Dynasties
Poe is vehemently against political dynasties, as she sees it as a source of corruption, which has
been proven by various cases connected to families of a political status.

West Philippine Sea Dispute

Poe has repeatedly said in public statements and speeches her opposition to China's territorial
aggression and land grabbing in the West Philippine Sea. She is in favor of having a diplomatic
battle with China under United Nations specifications and international law. She also wants a
unified ASEAN to combat China's aggression.

Mindanao and Communism

Poe is in favor of the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, stating it is key to peace and
stability in all of Mindanao and the country as a whole. She is also in favor of resuming peace
talks with the communists, while magnifying the integral sovereignty of the Philippines.

Abortion and Contraception

Poe is in favor of the complete implementation of the Reproductive Health Law which allows
the usage of contraception and an effective educational campaign on reproductive health,
especially among women. She states that the law will greatly help in reducing maternal deaths.
Her position on abortion is not clearly defined.
LGBT+ Rights
Poe is in favor of the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Bill (now SOGIE Equality Bill). The
LGBT sector was one of the sectors she prioritized and thanked during her 2016 presidential
bid. She was not in favor of same-sex marriage during a 2013 interview and instead was in
favor of domestic partnership, however, she changed her mind and announced her all-out
support for same-sex marriage in 2016, the first and only presidential candidate in Philippine
history to do so.

Environment
Poe wants to establish a Department of Risk Reduction and Management to nationalize the
efforts to manage and mitigate climate change, as the current agency for the job is constrained
due to lack of a nationalized integration efforts. She is in favor of the passage of the National
Land Use Act, which is one of the priority environmental bills of the Green Thumb Coalition,
the country's largest environmental coalition of pro-environment organizations. She is also
advocating for the modernization of PAGASA, the country's meteorological institution, and
enlargement of the scope of the National Reforestation Program.

Culture and Arts

Being the daughter of a National Artist for Cinema, FPJ, she is a strong advocate for the
enhancement and internationalization of Philippine culture and the arts, especially among the
youth. She views Philippine culture and arts as the next Asian spotlight.
Education and Indigenous People
Poe vowed to eliminate classroom backlogs and maximize digital technology for education. She
stated that her administration will develop a curriculum for indigenous peoples and will
initiate reforms in the budget to make sure indigenous people's education is rooted in the IP's'
culture. Her target is to build more schools within the 5-kilometer range of IP communities.
She is in favor in giving free education in all levels up to college. She has also expressed the
need for the continuation of the K-12 Program, which she believes will benefit the country in
the long-run.

OFW Rights
Poe supports the establishment of more resource centers for our OFWs to bring services closer
to Filipinos abroad. She wants the establishment of a Department of Overseas Filipino Workers.
She also stated that the goal is to create a better job environment in the Philippines, so that the
country will eventually stop exporting its talented workers. She is supported by notable OFW
advocate, Susan 'Toots' Ople.

Health
Poe wants to expand the coverage of PhilHealth, increase the basic pay of medical workers into
25,000 pesos, modernize all public hospitals, and to establish special barangay health centers
nationwide.

Transportation
Poe is advocating for the establishment of a high-speed bullet train system from Manila to
Clark. She is also advocating the establishment or modernization of airports, notably in Laoag,
Clark, Bacolod, Dumaguet, Bohol, Cebu, and Iloilo. She also intends to fix the bus franchise
system which has caused traffic in Metro Manila. She is in favor of shifting into renewable-
powered vehicles from the current oil-powered vehicles.

Poverty Alleviation
Poe iterated that she will continue and enhance the Conditional Cash Transfer Program
(Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino) or 4Ps and stresses that the families under the 4Ps should
become independent after the program.

Koko Pimentel
Pimentel filed a candidacy to run for Senator despite
serving his second term. Under the Philippine Constitution only,
one is only allowed to served two consecutive terms as Senator.
Pimentel's candidacy was disputed by lawayters Ferdinand
Topacio and Glenn Chong who filed cases before the Commission
on Elections to disqualify Pimentel's candidacy. The Comelec
dismissed the cases stating that Pimentel is eligible to run for
another term due to being unable to serve his first term
 completely from 2007 to 2013 due to an electoral protest. Juan Miguel Zubiri served his seat until
Pimentel was officially declared the winner.

Aquilino Martin de la Llana Pimentel III (born January 20, 1964), commonly known as Koko
Pimentel, is a Filipino politician who is the 28th Senate President of the Philippines from 2016 to
2018. He is also the current president of the PartidoDemokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–
Laban). As the eldest son and third child of the former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., he is
the first child of a previous Senate president to hold the post. [4] He was sworn in on August 12, 2011
and proclaimed as the 12th winning senator in the 2007 election.

2001 election
Pimentel ran for Cagayan de Oro City mayor in the 2001 elections but lost to Vicente Emano.[10]

2007 election
Running in only his second race in the May 14, 2007 senatorial elections, Pimentel was narrowly defeated
by Bukidnon Congressman Miguel Zubiri for the 12th and last slot in the Philippine Senate. The narrow
margin of 18,372 votes was controversial, particularly the votes from the southern Philippine province
of Maguindanao, where Pimentel had lost heavily to Zubiri.

Electoral protest
Main article: Pimentel vs. Zubiri electoral protest
In Philippine senatorial elections, the twelve candidates with the highest number of votes nationwide are
elected. In the 2007 elections, Pimentel (Genuine Opposition) and Juan Miguel Zubiri (TEAM Unity)
contested the 12th seat.
In the final tally for the 2007 senatorial elections by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Zubiri
narrowly defeated Pimentel for the 12th and last seat in the Senate. Zubiri had a total of 11,005,866 votes
against Pimentel's 10,984,347 votes.[12] On July 14, 2007, Zubiri was proclaimed as the 12th winning
senator. Claiming fraudulent votes in 22 municipalities of Maguindanao, 7 in Lanao del Norte, 3
in ShariffKabunsuan, 2 in Basilan, 2 in Sultan Kudarat, 4 in Lanao del Sur, and 4 in Sulu, Pimentel petitioned
the Supreme Court to issue a restraining order against the proclamation of Zubiri. With the vote tied at 7–7,
the Supreme Court dismissed Pimentel's petition. But then-Chief Justice Reynato Puno was among the seven
justices who favored Pimentel's petition.[14][15]
On July 14, 2007, Pimentel filed an electoral protest to the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET). After finding
grounds for a recount, the SET proceeded with the protest.[16]
On July 2011, former Maguindanao election supervisor LintangBedol and suspended Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanaogovernor ZaldyAmpatuan revealed that there was massive election fraud during the 2007
election.
On August 11, 2011, the Senate Electoral Tribunal released the final tally: Pimentel got 10,898,786 votes
while Zubiri got 10,640,620. Prior to this, on August 3, 2011, Zubiri resigned from the Senate; however, he
reiterated that he was not involved in the 2007 electoral fraud.
On August 11, 2011, Pimentel was proclaimed by the Senate Electoral Tribunal as the rightful winner of the
12th senate seat. In August 12, Pimentel took his oath of office before his supporters in Mati, Davao
Oriental, where he received a high number of votes.

2013 election
Pimentel was included in the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) coalition's shortlist of senatorial candidates
for the 2013 election. However, citing UNA's senatorial slate now having more than twelve members and the
inclusion of his longtime political rival, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Pimentel officially declined his spot in the UNA
coalition on June 28, 2012.[22] Instead, Pimentel ran under the Team PNoy coalition, composed mostly of
supporters of then-President Benigno Aquino III.[23] Pimentel was elected to the Senate of the Philippines,
placing eighth with 14,725,114 votes.[24]

Senate President (2016–2018)

On July 25, 2016, the opening day of the 17th Congress of the Philippines, Pimentel was elected as Senate
President with 20 out of 23 senators voting in his favor.[25] He, along with his father Aquilino Pimentel Jr., is
the only father-and-son tandem being elected as Senate President in Philippine History (the elder Pimentel
served as Senate President from November 13, 2000 to July 23, 2001).[26] During the Burial of Ferdinand
Marcoscontroversy, Pimentel voted in favor of a resolution condemning the burial.[27] After the Quo
warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Serenothat ousted the Chief Justice, Angara was among the 14
senators who signed a resolution challenging Sereno's ouster.[28] Pimentel resigned on May 21, 2018, in
order to focus on his reelection bid in the 2019 and is succeeded by Majority Leader Tito Sotto. Pimentel
backed the declaration of martial law in Mindanao in 2017[29] and its extension in 2018.[30] He was one of
the senators who voted in favor of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN Law).[31] He
supported President Rodrigo Duterte's deadly Philippine Drug War.[32]

Like his father, former Senate President Edgardo Angara, he is a known advocate for education, having
authored laws such as the Universal Kindergarten Law, Early Years Act, Anti-Bullying Law, the University of
the Philippines Charter, Ladderized Education Act, Open Learning and Distance Education Act, Open High
School System Act, Youth Entrepreneurship Act, and the recently enacted RA 10687 or the Unified Student
Financial Assistance System for Higher and Technical Education (UNIFAST) Act to ensure that scholarship
programs really benefit the poor and most deserving students in the country. He also sponsored laws that
would create state universities and colleges in less developed provinces such as Catanduanes, Quirino,
Negros, Cotabato, Kalinga, Compostela Valley, among others, in the firm belief that the best way out of
poverty and towards a good life is quality education.

Since his days in the Lower House, he has been pushing for the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to combat
corruption and foster good governance in the country.

Bam Aquino
Aquino was suggested by Senator Franklin
Drilon to run.[40] Aquino filed his senatorial candidacy on
October 16.

Paolo Benigno Aguirre Aquino IV (born May 7,

1977) is a Filipino politician and social entrepreneur. He
currently serves as a Senator of the Philippines since 2013
 and has advocated for the passage of bills focusing on entrepreneurship, culture and arts, and etc.

Senate Committee Chairmanships and Memberships

Bam Aquino currently chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. He is also a member of the
following committees:

Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon)

Committee on Agriculture and Food
Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies
Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization
Committee on Cooperatives
Committee on Cultural Communities
Committee on Education, Arts and Culture
Committee on Energy
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports
Committee on Health and Demography
Committee on Local Government
Committee on National Defense and Security
Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation
Committee on Public Information and Mass Media
Committee on Rules
Committee on Science and Technology
Committee on Social Justice, Welfare, and Rural Development
Committee on Ways and Means
Senate Electoral Tribunal
He was the former chairman of the Committee on Education Culture and Arts from July 2016 until his
removal from the position on February 2017 due to his opposition on a Duterte-backed legislation. He was
chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship and Committee on Youth July 2013
to June 2016.

Sonny Angara
Angara was included in Senator Koko Pimentel's
list of prospective candidates for the PDP-Laban-
led coalition that he sent to President Duterte for
approval. Angara filed his candidacy on October
17.
Juan Edgardo Manalang
Angara (Tagalog: [aŋˈɡara]; born July 15, 1972),
most widely known as Sonny Angara, is
 a Filipinopolitician. Elected to the Senate of the Philippines in 2013, Angara placed
sixth with 16 million votes.[1] In the Senate, he advocates lowering of taxes that would
help workers and families save and promote social justice.

Senate
In the 17th Congress, Senator Angara currently chairs the following committees:[3]

 Local Government
 Ways and Means
As chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Angara has already worked for the enactment of:[4][5]

 Republic Act 10653 that raises the take-home pay of Filipino workers by increasing the tax exemption
cap for 13th month pay and other benefits from P 30,000 to P82,000.[6]
 Republic Act 10708 or the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act (TIMTA) that aims to
promote transparency and accountability in the grant and administration of tax incentives to registered
business entities so as to encourage investors to bring more businesses to the country, generate more
employment opportunities, and boost Philippine economic growth.[7]
 Republic Act 10754 or the VAT Exemption for Persons with Disability. This law exempts persons with
disabilities (PWDs) from the 12-percent value added tax (VAT) on land transportation, domestic air and
sea travels; on fees and charges for medical and dental services; on cost of medicines; on funeral and
burial services; on fees and charges in hotels and restaurants, among others.[8]
During the Burial of Ferdinand Marcos controversy, Angara abstained.[9] After the Quo warranto petition
against Maria Lourdes Sereno that ousted the Chief Justice, Angara was among the 14 senators who signed a
resolution challenging Sereno's ouster. Angara backed the declaration of martial law in Mindanao in
2017[11] and its extension in 2018. He was one of the senators who voted in favor of the Tax Reform for
Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN Law). He supported President Rodrigo Duterte's Philippine Drug
War[14], but has expressed alarm on the spate of killings.

In the 16th Congress, Angara formerly chaired Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports where he is
actively pushing for greater support for Filipino athletes and competitiveness of national sports teams
competing in international competitions. Through this committee, he has authored and sponsored the
following laws:

 RA 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act that increased the amount of
financial incentives and benefits given to national athletes, coaches and recognition of athletes with
disabilities as national athletes.[16]
 RA 10636 granting Filipino citizenship to AndrayBlatche, the 6-foot-11 basketball player from the NBA,
for eligibility to join the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team.
 Republic Acts 10674, 10680, 10681, 10682 and 10683 which established sports academies and
training centers respectively in Davao de Norte, Misamis Occidental, Talisay Cebu, Alfonso Cavite and
 Siargao Island to hone the skills and raw talent of young athletes from the provinces and jumpstart
grassroots sports development.
Angara was also formerly the acting chairman of the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human
Resources. He is the sponsor of RA 10691 or the amended Public Employment Service Office (PESO)
Act,[19] which aims to improve and strengthen PESOs’ employment facilitation services to help more Filipinos
land a job especially in rural areas and poorer municipalities, and RA 10706 or the Seafarers Protection Act,
which protects Filipino seafarers from ambulance chasers, particularly lawyers, who charge excessive legal
fees arising from accident, illness, or death of seafarers in the course of their service.

JV
Ejercito
Ejercito was nominated by
Senate President Pimentel; Ejercito was
non-committal if he would run.p He
said by January 2018 that it depends
on the decision of his father, Manila
Mayor Joseph Estrada, as he prefers to
avoid running with his half-
brother Jinggoy Estrada. By April,
Pimentel revealed that they considered Ejercito over Estrada, saying that
they prefer incumbents, and that it was his commitment to
Ejercito. Ejercito left the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, his father's party, in
favor of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), and will be running
under the NPC banner.
Joseph Victor Gomez Ejercito (born December 26, 1969 in Manila),
commonly known as JV Ejercito or JV Ejercito Estrada, is the son
of Philippine President Joseph Estrada.
Ejercito is running in the Philippine Senate election, 2019.

San Juan Mayor

Ejercito served as mayor of San Juan City for three consecutive terms from 2001 to 2010.

House of Representatives
During the 2010 elections, Ejercito ran for the position of congressman for the lone district of
San Juan. Over the course of his term, Ejercito authored and/or sponsored 161 bills and/or
House measures, five of which were approved by the House and passed to the Senate for
consideration:

 HB 4225: Participatory Governance Through CSOs Empowerment Act of 2011[4]

 HB 4541: Mercury Exposure Information Act of 2011
 HB 4565: Local Housing Boards Act[6]
 HB 5870: Cadastral Survey Act of 2012[7]
 HB 6144: Domestic Workers Act of 2012 or Kasambahay Bill

Senate
On October 1, 2012, Ejercito filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2013 Philippine senate elections, in
which he won as the eleventh out of twelve of the senators elected.[9]

Graft charges, arrest and acquittal

On April 6, 2016, Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued an arrest warrant against Ejercito and
four other government officials, in connection with allegations on misuse of funds during his
term as San Juan City mayor. The said case involved the purchase of PhP 2.1 million worth of
firearms using calamity funds. It is alleged that Ejercito approved the purchase in April 2008
despite the city not being under a state of calamity.
On February 20, 2017, the Sandiganbayan affirmed the acquittal from graft of Senator Joseph
Victor “JV” Ejercito over the alleged anomalous use of calamity funds for the purchase of high-
powered firearms when he was San Juan City mayor.

2019 Campaign
Ejercito is running in the Philippine Senate election, 2019.
Ejercito supports the Death penalty.
Ejercito Is endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Cynthia
Villar
Villar announced her candidacy in
April 2018, adding that the Nacionalistas will
field in Representative from Taguig Pia
Cayetano, and Ilocos Norte governor Imee
Marcos.
Cynthia Aguilar Villar (born Cynthia Ampaya Aguilar, July 29, 1950) is a
Filipino politician and wife of billionaire businessman Manny Villar. She was a member
of the House of Representatives for the Lone District of Las Piñas from 2001-2010 and
is currently a senator.
She is the sister of Las Piñas Mayor Vergel Aguilar, and Muntinlupa Barangay
Chairman Elizabeth "Ate Bess" A. Masangkay and the wife of Senator Manny Villar.

In 2001, Villar ran as Representative of the Lone District of Las Piñas and won in a
landslide victory. She served in that post until 2010.
When her husband became the Senate President in 2006, she became the president of
the Senate Spouses Foundation, Inc., serving until December 2008.
In 2013, Villar ran as senator under the ticket of his husband's rival in the 2010
presidential elections, President Benigno Aquino III and won, finishing in the 10th
place.
In a senatorial forum on GMA News TV on February 23, 2013,
economist SolitaMonsod asked Villar to explain why, as chairman of the House
Committee on High Education, she opposed the move to close nursing schools that
the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said did not meet minimum requirements
to continue operations.
She explained that she favored the students who wanted to continue their schooling.
CHED, she said, wanted to close the nursing schools because they didn't have the
required tertiary hospitals where the nurses would eventually be trained before they
graduate and get their BS Nursing degrees.
This part of Villar's response became controversial: "Actually, hindinamankailangan ng
nurse namataposang BSN (BS Nursing). Kasiitongmga nurses, gusto langnilangmaging
room nurse, o sa Amerika o sa other countries, ay mag-aalagalangsila. Hindi
namankailangannaganoonsilakagaling. (Nurses don't actually need to finish BS
Nursing. These nurses only want to become a room nurse or caregivers in America or
in other countries. They don't need to be that good.),” Villar said in response.
Villar apologized on March 4, 2013 to Filipino nurses who were hurt by her recent
statement on the nursing profession.
“Taos-pusopoakonghumihingi ng paumanhinsalahat ng mga nurse at kani-
kanilangpamilyanalabisnanasaktansaakingkasagutansatanongnaibinatosa akin
saisangprogramasa TV (I sincerely apologize to all the nurses and their families who
were hurt by my response to the question I was asked on TV),” she posted on
her Twitter account[3]
Villar won in 2013 senatorial elections, placing tenth.[4] In July 10, 2014, Villar
criticized the arrest of senators Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Jinggoy
Estrada after the three were linked as the masterminds to the Priority Development
Assistance Fund scam or Pork Barrel scandal.[5]
In May 19, 2015, Villar was the richest senator in the Philippines with a 2014 net
worth of P1,983,480,135.[6] In May 17, 2016, Villar's wealth increased by 76%
according to government data.[7]
In August 2016, Villar's son, Mark Villar, was appointed by newly-elected
president Rodrigo Duterte as the public works and highways secretary.In October
2016, Villar backed President Duterte's Philippine Drug War, which has killed at least
20,000 Filipinos. In November 2016, Villar voted against a resolution which sought to
reject the Duterte-initiated burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcosin the Heroes'
Cemetery.
In February 2017, Villar voted in favor of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and
Inclusion Act, which increased the inflation rate and cost of goods in the country Villar
afterwards blamed 'traders' for the negative effects of the law that she supported. On
the same month, after President Rodrigo Duterte announced his intention to withdraw a
treaty with the United States, Villar followed suit by not supporting the resolution
requiring Senate concurrence on treaty withdrawals. In June 14, 2017, Villar urged the
government to impose a ban in 'unli-rice'.In December 13, 2017, Villar was unable to
vote for the martial law extension in Mindanao, but senator Vicente Sotto III noted that
she “would have voted yes.”
In March 6, 2018, Villar stated that she has 'no conlfict of interest' in Boracay, where
her company operates.In June 2018, Villar rejected the possibility of same sex
marriage in the Philippines. In May 16, 2018, a local executive revealed that Villar's
property firm was behind the levelling and destruction of mountains in Boracay.[21] In
May 17, 2018, Villar did not support the resolution against the ouster of Chief
Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno via a quo warranto petition. In October, she filed her
certificate of candidacy for re-election in the 2019 senate elections. In July 23, 2018,
Villar announced that she 'admired' President Rodrigo Duterte.[23] In November 26,
2018, Villar supported a "60-40 profit sharing with China."[24]
In January 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte backed Villar's re-election candidacy.

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