HOUSE Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said he will not be running for Senate in 2019.
"Congressman lang ako. Okay na ako dito [I'm just a congressman. I'm okay here]," Alvarez said when asked by reporters if he will be run in the 2018 senatorial race.
He said he will likely be the national campaign manager of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
The plan to have him as the slate's campaign manager was bared by Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III last week.
Pimentel named six senatorial bets that will be endorsed by the party.
Aside from him, other candidates include Negros Occidental Representative Albee Benitez, Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman, Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles, former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas.
Asked if some names could still fall out of the initial line up, Alvarez answered in the affirmative.
Fariñas earlier said he would rather retire than run in the 2019 polls.
Nograles, meanwhile, said it was too early to say that he will run for a senatorial post.
Alvarez declined to comment when asked for possible names to be included in the list of the PDP's senatorial bets but said he prefers that they will come from the PDP-Laban.
"Pinagaaralan pa namin. 'Yun namang meron tsansang manalo [We are studying. Those who have the chance to win]," he said.
Alvarez said he also considers candidates from the Nacionalista party, a coalition partner of the PDP-Laban. (VoxPop Philippines)
