The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has listed 176 aspirants for senator in the May 9, 2022 synchronized polls, including eight Muslim personalities.
The poll body is reportedly screening the list of 176 senatorial aspirants and would release the final official list before the end of this year.
The list published by the Wikipedia showed reelection-seeking or returning senators like Dick Gordon, JV Ejercito, Chiz Escudero, Sonny Trillanes, Risa Hontiveros, Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, Leila Delima, Gringgo Honasan, Joel Villanueva, Migz Zubiri, Win Gatchalian, and Alan Peter Cayetano.
Newscaster and former Vice President Noli de Castro had filed his senatorial candidacy but withdrawn it a week later, the Wikipedia said.
The list also includes former Vice Pres. Jojo Binay, former Secretaries Manny Piñol, Bebot Bello, Salvador Panelo, Mark Villar, John Castriciones, and Gibo Teodoro, former Palace graft-buster Greco Belgica, Reps. Rodante Marcoleta and Neri Colmenares, lawyer Chel Diokno, and celebrity-politicos Herbert Bautista and Monsour del Rosario.
Popular broadcasters Raffy Tulfo and Rey Langit joined the senatorial contest alongside famous movie actor Robin Padilla.
Padilla, who embraced Islam, leads eight other Muslim senatorial aspirants: Samira Gutoc, who placed 25th in the 2019 polls; Nur-Anna Sahidula, Princess Kiram, Ibrahim Albani, Bai Maylanie Esmael, Najar “Jinggoy Adang” Salih, Ashleah Ebad and Bilgadil Albani.
ALI G. MACABALANG
PHILIPPINE MUSLIM TODAY 