Liberal Party announces Kiko Pangilinan’s Senate bid; De Lima-led partylist run for Eleksyon 2025

The Liberal Party (LP) on Friday announced the candidacy of its chairman, former Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan for Senate in Eleksyon 2025.

LP likewise announced that its sectoral wing, the Mamamayang Liberal (ML) partylist will seek congressional seats in next year’s election with former Senator Leila de Lima as its lead nominee.

The second and third nominees of the said partylist are former congressmen Teddy Baguilat and Erin Tañada, respectively.

This was announced by Tañada at LP’s national assembly held in San Juan City. 

The party also announced the mayoral run of former Vice President Leni Robredo in Naga City.

“Naging mahapdi ang ating pagkatalo nu’ng 2022, pero di tayo sumuko patuloy tayong nag-organisa,” Tañada said.

(Our defeat in 2022 was devastating, but we didn't give up. Instead, we rose up and continued to organize. Now, in 2025, our fight is more crucial than ever.)

According to Tañada, ML will focus on the issue of China's occupation in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

"Ang Mamamayang Liberal ay pagiging pangunahing isyu ang usaping ito sa darating halalan. We stand firm in our belief that Philippine territorial sovereignty is non-negotiable as we will hold accountable any forces that threaten our national security and patrimony," he said.

De Lima, in her speech, said ML will push for the ideals of democracy, freedom, justice, social justice, good and participatory governance, and national sovereignty.

"Nung mga nakaraang buwan po hindi po ako sigurado kung sasali pa ako uli sa pulitika o ano pa man for next year's elections, but upon deep reflections, upon consultations, and upon the realization that those sacrifices cannot be just for naught," De Lima said.

(In the past few months, I wasn't sure if I would still participate in politics or anything else for next year's elections, but after deep reflections, consultations, and the realization that those sacrifices cannot be just for naught.)

"Ito po ay aking re-affirmation ng aking commitement na patuloy kong ipaglalaban ang mga karapatan na bawat isa sa mga Pilipino, lalo na ang karapatang pantao at hustisya para sa lahat," she added.

(This is my reaffirmation of my commitment to continually fight for the rights of every Filipino, particularly the right to human dignity and justice for all.)

In his acceptance speech, Pangilinan thanked his colleagues for the nomination and expressed that LP will continue to fight because "we're not done yet."

"Nu'ng isang araw tinanong ako ng isang kaibigan natin sa media kung kamusta na raw ang LP at totoo ba na hindi tayo magpi-field ng buong slate. Gusto ko sana tanungin sa kanya: 'Itanong niyo muna kung kamusta na ang PDP-Laban,'" Pangilinan quipped.

(The other way, a friend of ours from the media asked me how the Liberal Party was doing and if it was true that we wouldn't be fielding a complete slate. I wanted to ask him in return: 'Why don't you ask how PDP-Laban is doing first?')

Pangilinan shared his response to the query and said that LP "has been through worst", citing the Plaza Miranda bombing, the martial law era, the killings of its leaders which included Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., and the "insults" and threats by the last administration.

"Ngunit naririto pa rin tayo. Hindi tayo nagpatinag, hindi tayo magpapatinag. (But we're still here. We won't back down, we won't be intimidated). We have been through worse and for as long as poverty, corruption, economic backwardness, abuses in government continue to plague our nation, the LP together with our other liberal democratic and progressive forces will always be a force to contend with," Pangilinan said.

"Itaga ninyo sa bato, hindi pa tayo tapos. Parating pa lang tayo sa exciting part," he added.

(Mark my word, we're not done yet. We're just getting to the exciting part.)

Pangilinan also recalled that running for Senate was his original plan in the 2022 national and local elections.

But he set aside his personal plan and agreed to what he considered as a "political suicide mission" because "it is the right thing to do," he said.

"Hindi natatapos sa resulta ng isang halalan ang ating sinusulong na pagbabago sa ating republika, lalo na ngayon nakikita natin sa araw araw na mga imbestigasyon kung gaano katindi ang pang-aabuso sa pwesto na ang nagaganap at naganap - kinakailangan nating ayusin at harapin at baguhin ito," he said.

(The change we are pushing for in our republic is not accomplished by the result of a single election, especially now that we see every day the investigations revealing the extent of the abuses of power that are happening and have happened - we need to fix and confront this situation and change it.)

"What happened in the last elections only means that our defeat or setback is really not a failure, but only a delay. Thus, in the coming days, we shall build on the gains of the last election campaign," he added.

The LP also adopted a resolution endorsing the senatorial bids of its ally candidates Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno and former Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV.—VAL, GMA Integrated News