Aquino girlfriend eyes seat in Congress

By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:20:00 10/20/2009

Filed Under: Politics, Eleksyon 2010


MANILA, Philippines -- Will the country have a First Lady with a public mandate of her own as a congresswoman?

Valenzuela councilor Shalani Soledad, the girlfriend of leading presidential aspirant Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is eyeing a possible run for Congress in 2010, according to former Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) general manager Angelito “Lito” Banayo.

Talking with Inquirer editors and reporters last week, Banayo said that this was the reason behind the decision of Valenzuela second district Rep. Magtranggol Gunigundo II to bolt the Liberal Party.

“That’s reportedly why Gunigundo resigned because she’s going to run for Congress. She’s going to be backed by the Gatchalians,” said Banayo, referring to the family of Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian.

Soledad, 29, garnered the biggest number of votes when she ran for councilor for the city’s second district in 2007.

Banayo said he got his information from the mayor.

Contacted by the Inquirer for comment, Soledad said she had not yet decided on the matter.

“There is no final decision yet,” she stressed.

But with the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy coming up next month, Soledad said she would be announcing her political plans within the next two weeks. She added that she would also be asking her family for their inputs.

She also did not say whether she would be running under the Liberal Party, although she did confirm that she would not be running under the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.

Soledad ran for and won as councilor under the administration party in 2007.

Only recently, she and Valenzuela Vice Mayor Eric Martinez joined the Nationalist People’s Coalition to ally themselves with Gatchalian.

For some time, there has been talk in Valenzuela City that Soledad was being groomed to run for Congress in 2010.

In September, when Aquino was proclaimed as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer in next year’s presidential race, people assumed she would also be moving to his party.

Soledad currently chairs the committees of appropriations, and ways and means — two work-intensive committees that deal with the city’s finances.


Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091020-231053/Aquino-girlfriend-eyes-seat-in-Congress