‘No conflict’ in Duterte decision to join Sara’s Hugpong, says Pimentel

Davao City Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte-Carpio.ArJOY M. CENIZA

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III on Friday said there is “no conflict” in President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to join the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) partylist chaired by his daughter.

Pimentel in a statement explained any member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), even the President who chairs the group, can join Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s HNP since it is a regional partylist.

“Any PDP-Laban can take his or her oath as a member of Hugpong ng Pagbabago. There is absolutely no conflict,” said the senator, also president of the PDP-Laban.

“The former [is] a national party, and the latter, a regional party,” he added.

President Duterte on Wednesday took his oath as a member of his daughter’s HNP, which the Commission on Elections has granted as a regional party in June.

But Pimentel saw no problem on the matter since the President has also been a member of the PDP-Laban and the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) simultaneously for years.

HTL is the party founded by Duterte when he was still mayor of Davao.