Hugpong campaign caravan draws 20,000 people in Pampanga

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Traffic hardly moved in the center of the City of San Fernando as thousands of people poured in the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) rally at the Pampanga capitol ground here on Tuesday.

HNP is the regional party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Early birds are HNP senatorial candidates Jiggy Manicad and Francis Tolentino.

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Gov. Lilia Pineda, and Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda led local officials and some 20,000 people in welcoming HNP candidates in the Luzon leg of the administration party’s proclamation rally.

Macapagal-Arroyo urged Kapampangans to give HNP senatorial candidates a “landslide” as they did in 2016 for President Duterte.

About 20,000 people watch the launching of the campaign caravan of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) in City of San Fernando, Pampanga. HNP is the regional party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. PHOTO BY TONETTE OREJAS

Carpio, who chairs HNP, came to the rally. Bong Revilla, Bato de la Rosa, Sen. JV Ejercito, Pia Cayetano, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Francis Tolentino, Imee Marcos have arrived and waiting for their turns to speak.

Hugpong senatorial candidate TV journalist Jiggy Manicad did not have even have a campaign tarpaulin when the administration party kicked off its campaign here.

Manicad, who worked as a broadcast journalist for 23 years, mentioned the lack when he spoke at the HNP rally.

Carpio formed the political party in 2018 in support of her father, President Duterte. She was reported to be instrumental in convincing lawmakers to back Arroyo for the House speakership, though both refused to confirm this./lzb