Honasan on running sans slate: ‘No regrets, always lessons learned’

Former senator Gringo Honasan files his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections at the Manila Hotel Tent City on Monday, October 7, 2024. INQUIRER.net/John Eric Mendoza

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Gringo Honasan said he has “no regrets, always lessons learned” in running without a slate for the 2025 senatorial elections under the Reform PH People’s Party.

The remark came in response to a question at a news forum in San Juan City on Friday about his exclusion from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for the New Philippines) slate despite running under his Uniteam slate in 2022.

When asked if he had any regrets about Uniteam, Honasan said, “No. I have no regrets in what I do in my life but always lessons learned.”

“They included me because the platform was unity. What happened now? I was not included… If this administration slate is a derivative of the Uniteam, what unity are we showing to our people, especially to our children? That’s my concern,” he added.

READ: ‘Broken from start’, UniTeam sees complete collapse

Honasan is attempting a Senate comeback in the polls this coming May.

READ: Gringo Honasan seeks return to Senate via 2025 polls

“I was part of the Uniteam. What has happened since then? We need to explain this to the youth, to the voters, so they can make better choices),” he said.

When asked about campaigning without a slate, the senatorial candidate replied, “I feel relieved because now, I have the freedom to articulate my platforms and programs.”