‘CheKiBam’ to run as independent candidates in 2025 elections

(Left to Right) Atty. Chel Diokno and former Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino announced that they will run as independent candidates in the 2025 elections during a press conference in Cebu City on Friday, August 16.  They are joined by Senator Risa Hontiveros. | CDN Digital Photo / Emmariel Ares

CEBU CITY, Philippines –  Former Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, along with human rights Lawyer Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” Diokno have announced their plans to join the senatorial race in the 2025 midterm elections.

During a press conference in Cebu City on Friday, they said that they will be seeking election as independent candidates.

The trio is currently called “CheKiBam,” a combination of their names, by their volunteers and supporters.

READ: LOOK: Leni-Kiko tandem visits Bantayan in Cebu

“May mga iba nagbabansag sa amin na oposisyon, okay lang po yun. May mga iba nagsabing true or real, okay lang rin po yun. Pero para po mas maging malinaw lang, ang grupo ho namin ay independent sa dalawang malaking grupo po na nagaaway-away na rin ngayon,” Aquino said.

Aquino was referring to the camps of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte.

READ: Senator Bam Aquino puts his reelection dreams in Cebu voters hands

“Sabi ko nga, hindi admin, hindi DDS. Independent,” Pangilinan said.

Worthy people

Senator Ana Teresia “Risa” Hontiveros has expressed her hopes that the three men, who she referred to as her “friends,” would get to join her in Senate.

READ: P64-a-day threshold is insulting and saddening, says Sen. Hontiveros

“Kinihanglan ko ng mga friends sa Senado…We will stand together to fight for the Filipino people. We’ll be there for you. Pag tiningnan po natin, such worthy people. They are the best people for the job,” Hontiveros said during the press conference on Friday.

Diokno, who also run but lost his senate bid in 2019 and 2022, said that the Marcos administration have fallen short in its efforts to address the issues plaguing the country.

READ: Bam Aquino rallies support for passage of TRAIN law amendment

It is for this reason that they are presenting themselves as alternatives in the 2025 elections.

For his part, Pangilinan said that he was supposed to run for senator again in the 2022 national elections. But he opted to set side his plans to support the presidential bid of former Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

He sought election for Robredo’s running mate in the last election.

Last minute preparations

Pangilinan admitted that his “last minute preparations” in the 2022 elections did not work out.

Learning his lesson, he is now making early preparations for his senatorial bid.  He and the rest of the CheKiBam also recognizes the importance of social media in winning votes.

Aquino said that their biggest challenge is how to draw the same attention that the Leni-Kiko tandem did, which transformed the political landscape in the country.

“I guess the challenge is makukuha ba natin yung ganung vibes at yung ganung energy for 2025. Kaya kami maagang nagsisimula rin para maaga pa lang, kausap na natin yung mga kaibigan natin,” he said.

Still, the trio expressed confidence that 2025 elections is quite promising.

“Maraming mga bagay na nagpapakita na itong 2025 will definitely be a bigger win for this side of the political fence. At lahat ng mga nangyari nung 2022, natutunan nating lahat yan at ina-apply na natin yan ngayon,” Aquino said.

“Readying ready po kami. “Chekibam.” Readying ready kaming umikot at mangampanya. Readying ready kami na dalhin ang lahat ng mga concerns, lahat ng pangangailangan ng ordinaryong Pilipino sa senado,” Diokno added.