Aquino bats for LP 2013 senatorial bets Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva

MANILA, Philippines -- President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday publicly campaigned for two members of the senatorial slate of the Liberal Party: Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Joel Villanueva.

Aquino, after a luncheon hosted for the birthday of Oriental Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali Jr. in Bongabong, praised Angara for his role as spokesman of the prosecution team in the impeachment case against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The President said if Angara were to lose in the 2013 polls, he would have a hard time practicing law with all the enemies he has created in the course of Corona’s impeachment.

“I appeal to you to give me allies next year. My hair is already thinning. If you do not give me people who will help me, I might already have to use floor wax for my head,” Aquino said.

Last month, Aquino made the same call, saying he needs more allies in government to make it easier for him to implement governance reforms.

“Next year is an election year, and I will seek your support again…This is my appeal to you: you might want to increase my allies in government so that it will be easier to reach a consensus when we talk,” he said during the birthday party of Imus Rep. Erineo Maliksi last month.

LP stalwart and Budget chief Florencio Abad earlier bared an initial list of candidates being eyed for the ruling party’s mid-term slate, including senators Aquilino Pimentel III, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Francis Escudero.

Pimentel is president of Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan which has formed a coalition with Partido ng Masang Pilipino for the United Nationalist Alliance led by Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Abad said other possible senatorial bets are Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, former Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros, on leave presidential adviser on environmental concerns Neric Acosta, and Customs deputy commissioner Danny Lim.