SOLIDARITY POSEHNP leaders Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang, Davao Occidental Gov. Claud Bautista, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario and Compostela Valley Gov. Tyron Uy pose for a photo session shortly before a mass oath-taking of new HNP members. —ARJOY M. CENIZA
TAGUM CITY — The political party formed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte was preparing for a head-on collision with the ruling Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in next year’s elections in the Davao region, including Davao del Norte province, according to Mayor Duterte.
At the mass oathtaking of 6,000 new members of her party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), Mayor Duterte said she expected the PDP-Laban, through Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, ousted Speaker, to field a full slate of candidates in Davao del Norte.
“We are preparing for the PDP-Laban to field a full slate,” said the mayor, President Duterte’s daughter, during the oath-taking ceremony at the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex.
Powerhouse
“Our candidates can count on HNP’s support to counter that,” she said.
Mayor Duterte’s HNP was turning into a powerhouse in the Davao region with more and more officials and politicians in the Davao provinces seeking to join it.
The latest to join HNP were 6,000 provincial, town and village officials from Davao del Norte who took their oaths as new HNP members before Mayor Duterte.
Mayor Duterte said HNP would continue building and recruiting new members even outside the Davao region by forming alliances with local government units across the country.
HNP is set to bring into its fold Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano and the Jalosjoses of Zamboanga del Norte.
No conditions
“We would sign up alliances with other LGUs (local government units) and come up with a senatorial slate,” said Mayor Duterte
“We are recruiting more members and focus in the 2019 elections,” she said.
Mayor Duterte reiterated that local officials outside Davao need not leave their national party affiliations to join HNP.
An example, she said, was Davao Occidental Gov. Claude Bautista who stayed with Nationalist People’s Coalition and Compostela Valley Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy who stayed with the PDP-Laban.
Two other HNP members — Davao del Norte Gov. Antonio Rafael del Rosario and Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. — were independents.
Del Rosario said all of eight towns and three cities in Davao del Norte were represented at the HNP oath-taking ceremony on Friday.
Among the local governments whose full set of officials took oath under HNP was the municipality of New Corella under Mayor Rhodora Alcoran.
Full house
Also present was Compostela Valley Vice Gov. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, a PDP-Laban member.
Mayor Duterte reiterated her stand not to seek a national position in next year’s elections, though.
In Digos City, Davao del Sur, Mayor Joseph Peñas said scores of local chief executives in the League of Cities in the Philippines outside the Davao region had been sending queries how to join HNP.
Peñas, HNP chair in Davao del Sur, raised the possibility that the political party originally conceived for the regions might evolve into a national one.
After the swearing in of new members in Tagum City on Friday, Mayor Duterte will be in Davao Occidental and Digos City in Davao del Sur on Aug. 6 to swear in more members, Peñas said.