Hugpong takes campaign caravan to Baguio

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, chair of Hugpong ng Pagbabago, endorses the party’s senatorial candidates during their campaign rally in Baguio City on Friday. PHOTO BY VALERIE DAMIAN

BAGUIO CITY — Six of the 13 Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) senatorial candidates on Friday took their campaign caravan to this mountain city a day before the scheduled Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming.

HNP is the regional party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. But the presidential daughter said they would immediately head to La Union later today for another rally tomorrow.

“No, we won’t stay here [to join the PMA alumni homecoming],” Carpio told the Inquirer.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has barred PMA alumni, including honorary class members, from “engaging in political campaigning” during their annual homecoming this weekend at Fort del Pilar.

HNP’s senatorial bet Ronald dela Rosa is a PMA alumnus (Class 1986). Other HNP senatorial candidates that are honorary members adopted by some PMA classes are Senator Jinggoy Estrada (1972), Senator Bong Revilla (1985), and former presidential aide Christopher “Bong” Go (1992).

The party’s campaign rally at the PFVR Gymnasium drew some 1,000 people, police said.

Present during the campaign trail here were former reporter Jiggy Manicad, re-electionist Senators Edgardo Angara and JV Ejercito, and former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, former Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa, and Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu.

Margaret Tolero, 68, the head of the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs here, said she attended the campaign to listen to what the candidates have to offer and to get to know the candidates better./lzb