DAVAO CITY (May 7) — President Rodrigo Duterte will be joining the campaign sorties of Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional party chaired by his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo emphasized that Duterte will be making rounds during the last five days of the campaign to support Sara’s HNP and his Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
“Iyong Hugpong – dahil iyong anak niya ang nagpundar niyan ‘di ba – parang, he will support his daughter’s group.” Panelo in a Palace briefing said Monday.
The President has earlier expressed support for three HNP candidates — former Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, and former journalist Jiggy Manicad – but they are not among those he endorsed during PDP-Laban campaign rallies.
Duterte, the PDP-Laban chairman, is endorsing five PDP-Laban senatorial candidates — former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, former Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino, PDP-Laban president and reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, and former Philippine National Police and Bureau of Corrections chief, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
He is also endorsing guest candidates — reelectionist senators Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito and Cynthia Villar, former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III, folk singer Freddie Aguilar, Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, and Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos.
Panelo said Duterte’s attendance in the HNP campaign rally this week is in response to the invitation of organizers, “It means it is a courtesy to the organizers; his presence will be deemed as a courtesy to them, if he was invited to grace the occasion.”-NewsLine.ph
