Sara Duterte: No talks on PDP-Laban members’ defection to my party

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Friday denied reports that several House members from the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) were planning to shift allegiance to her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).

“There are no talks. SGMA (Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) is a PDP member. She can very well take care of all PDP members,” Duterte-Carpio said in a text message to INQUIRER.net

Arroyo was elected Speaker on Monday by 184 House members, becoming the 21st leader of the House and the first woman to hold the post.

READ: PDP-Laban solons plan to shift allegiance to Inday Sara’s local party

On Thursday, House Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya Jr. said “quite a handful” of congressmen are “seriously considering” to move to HNP, but none have formally expressed their desire to do so.

Duterte-Carpio, however, said, “HNP is a region XI political regional party.”

“HNP was not made to go on a national level. We just wanted to create a strong region XI,” she said.

Asked if her party was open to coalesce with a national party like the Lakas-CMD to gain national posture, she said the party has discussed the possibility.

“It has been discussed but other HNP officers have not decided on this matter.”

“We did not foresee this growing interest of other politicians from other regions. it will be a difficult decision to go national and I’m not ready to decide on it right now. Even the other officers are not keen on deciding this,” she added.   /vvp