The 1Sambayan opposition coalition would unveil on Independence Day its official list of nominees for president, vice president, and senators whom the group would endorse in the 2022 elections. 

1Sambayan convenor and lawyer Howie Calleja confirmed this on Tuesday, May 25, when asked by Rappler when the coalition planned to announce its nominees.

“June 12, yes, Independence Day, a day we start to regain back the country our freedom and democracy and unite as one people for the good of all,” Calleja said. 

He said 1Sambayan would announce its nominees for president, vice president, and 12 senatorial posts along with the coalition’s criteria in choosing these possible candidates. 

But this list would not yet contain the final bets to be endorsed by 1Sambayan for 2022. The coalition would still ask the public to vote for their preferred opposition bets online. 

“We’ll open our online voting portal [for the] members and [the] public to participate in the choice,” said Calleja. 

The 1Sambayan coalition was formed by several opposition figures in March in a bid to endorse a single slate of national candidates who would fight whoever the Duterte administration would field come 2022.

The 1Sambayan’s initial choices for president or VP include Vice President Leni Robredo, senators Nancy Binay and Grace Poe, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and ex-senator Antonio Trillanes IV. 

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Trillanes has already announced his bid for the presidency, but only if Robredo does not gun for the highest post in the land.

While Robredo has yet to decide what position to run for in 2022, she said the opposition must field only one standard-bearer to defeat the Duterte regime. 

Binay likewise agreed in a united opposition, but insisted she was not planning to gun for higher office

Moreno also said he was honored be considered by 1Sambayan, but he would rather focus on pandemic response for now. 

Poe, meanwhile has remained silent on 1Sambayan for now. – Rappler.com