A prominent member of the Cabinet of President Benigno S. Aquino III, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) director general Joel Villanueva may now heave a sigh of relief as he was revealed to be included in the official Liberal Party Senatorial slate in the 2016 elections.
According to a ranking official of the ruling Liberal Party, was “safely in” in the senatorial ticket of the administration-backed coalition for the 2016 elections despite facing graft charges over the alleged misuse of his pork barrel allotment.
According to some political experts, the inclusion of Joel Villanueva in the LP-led senatorial slate would quell speculations about his purported rift with LP standard-bearer, the former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.
The source of the information regarding Sec. Joel Villanueva’s inclusion in the LP-backed senatorial slate believes that the son of prominent evangelist Eddie Villanueva has proven himself to be an honest and hardworking member of Pres. Aquino’s cabinet.
Aside from Sec. Villanueva, the other names included in the LP senatorial slate are LP members Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senators Teofisto Guingona III and Ralph Recto along with former Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.
The administration-led coalition also noted that they will formally announce the first half of their senatorial lineup during its convention on Wednesday, October 1, 2015.