LEGAZPI CITY — Ako Bicol party-list has forged an alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the regional party formed and chaired by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, AKB Representative Alfredo Garbin said on Wednesday.
Garbin, in a phone interview, said after a consultation with AKB Representatives Rodel Batocabe and Cristopher Co as well as other party officers, they decided to enter into a “tactical” affiliation with Hugpong to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s programs.
Asked what it means and what to expect in the agreement, he said this is a political alliance for the 2019 mid-term election and the presidential election in 2022.
Under the alliance, it is agreed that AKB, a regional political party in Bicol, Hugpong and other national and local parties, would support common candidates for the local and national elections.
Hugpong ng Pagbabago joined forces on Monday with three national parties — Sen. Cynthia Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP), Danding Cojuangco’s Nationalist People’s Coalition and National Unity Party (NUP); and seven local parties — Ilocano Timpuyof, Alyansa Bol-anon Alang sa Kausaban (Abaka), Aggrupation of Party for Progress (APP), Kambilan, PaDayon Pilipino (PP), Serbisyo sa Bayan Party and Ako Bicol.
AKB Representatives Batocabe and Co are both on their last term. Party officials are now starting to scout within the group the two’s replacements. (Mar Serrano/PNA)
