TACLOBAN CITY — The Davao-based regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), is endorsing 15 senatorial candidates for next year’s mid-term elections, Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Z. Duterte confirmed here on Wednesday.
Mayor Sara, HNP chairperson, said it is up to the voters to pick the 12 candidates among the 15 bets in next year’s elections since all of them are supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative agenda.
“President Rodrigo Duterte needs the support of our lawmakers who will make sure the legislation of his priority measures in the next three years of his administration,” she said.
Mayor Sara was in this city to forge an alliance with Tingog Sinirangan party-list and the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) for the May 2019 polls.
The political groups formally signed an agreement at the city’s astrodome with HNP leaders led by Mayor Sara, some of the senatorial candidates, and Tingog nominees along with the party’s Chairman Emeritus, former Leyte 1st District representative and Lakas-CMD President Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, nephew of former First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos.
“We have been going around the country to find friends who will help push the senatorial line up of President Duterte. He needs allies in the Senate to push his legislative agenda. We are aware that everything that he does starts with a law,” she said in her speech inside the dome packed with more than 5,000 people.
The HNP-endorsed senatorial bets are Senator Cynthia Villar, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, former senator Pia Cayetano, former presidential aide Bong Go, former police chief Ronald dela Rosa, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, former senator Jinggoy Estrada, and Senator Sonny Angara.
Also, in the line-up are Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, journalist Jiggy Manicad, former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., former Palace spokesman Harry Roque, Dr. Willie Ong, and Francis Tolentino.
The HNP will forge more alliances with local government officials to push for common senatorial candidates in next year’s elections. (Sarwell Meniano/PNA)
