MANILA, Philippines – Militant partylist Representative Satur Ocampo and Gabriela Representative Liza Maza announced Tuesday that they would be running for senator in the May 2010 elections as independents.

Ocampo and Maza made the announcements in a news conference at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.

“Meron kaming pagtitiwala na kaya naming dalhin ang kampanya [We believe that we can carry the campaign],” Ocampo said, stressing that they would rely on the support of their mass base.

The decision came after the left-leaning solons failed to reach an agreement with the Nacionalista Party, which had forged an alliance with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, and which the congressman and congresswoman opposed.