Sara undaunted by President’s withdrawal of support for Bong, Jinggoy
VIGAN CITY, Philippines – Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday said she respects the decision of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, to exclude former senators Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla from his preferred senatorial candidates.
Estrada and Revilla, who were jailed for their alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam in 2014, are among HNP’s 13m endorsed senatorial candidates for the May elections.
READ: Sara Duterte defends HNP’s endorsement of Estrada, Revilla
“He has that prerogative na pumili kung sino ‘yung kanyang mga candidates and si Presidente Duterte is under PDP (PDP-Laban) plus of course ‘yung mga personal choices niya and then HNP is a different entity altogether with PDP,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters Monday after her party’s campaign sortie here.
(He has the prerogative to choose the candidates he wants to endorse, the President is with PDP-Laban, his choices and those of HNP are different.)
The senatorial slate of HNP is almost identical from Duterte’s 11-man slate.
Aside from Estrada and Revilla, HNP is endorsing the senate bids of reelectionists Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara, and Cynthia Villar, former senator Pia Cayetano, Duterte’s former political adviser Francis Tolentino, former presidential aide Bong Go, former national police chief Ronald Dela Rosa, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, former journalist Jiggy Manicad and Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.
The President is endorsing the candidacy of the 10 of Hugpong’s bets except Estrada, Revilla and Manicad.
Duterte’s is also endorsing the Senate bid of folk singer Freddie Aguilar. / gsg
