Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano (leftmost), Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Public Works Undersecretary Karen Jimeno, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada clench their fists during the launch of the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines in Taguig City. INQUIRER FILE / EDWIN BACASMAS
The Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP) party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio “will become the voice of Mindanao and a force to reckon with like the time-tested solid North,” says Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos who on Monday formally inked an alliance with HnP.
Solid North refers to the regional alliance of the Marcos family’s territory in Ilocos Norte to seven other provinces in northern Luzon.
Marcos said she entered into an alliance with HnP because “is not a monolithic, hierarchical or traditional party. Its approach is very local.”
“I think it is a very interesting model, something that is workable on the ground,” the governor said. “This model is better because a candidate wins or loses in the local contests anyway. It is not about the big political parties in Manila.”
READ: Solid North to form alliance with Hugpong Party, says Imee
Aside from Marcos, also inked an alliance with HnP include Zamboanga del Norte Representative Seth Frederick Jalosjos and Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda.
On August 3, the HnP gained a thousand new members from Davao del Norte province. /cbb
READ: Mayor Sara Duterte’s ‘Hugpong’ recruits more members