Hugpong slams Otso Diretso for negative campaigning

LAOAG CITY, Philippines – Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), the regional party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, on Monday said it would not engage in “politicking” against its elections competitors and would instead focus on presenting to the people its campaign platforms.

The party statement was issued after the opposition “Otso Diretso” coalition threw shade against its rivals who have been accused of corruption and those who released films of their lives and banked on huge billboards.

READ: Otso Diretso bets throw shade vs competitors: ‘Hindi kami magnanakaw’

HNP is endorsing 13 senatorial candidates, all of whom are either allies or supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“It’s not my kind of politics na atakihin ‘yung kalaban. Ang sinasabi ko lagi doon sa mga candidates (namin), mag-focus tayo to present kung ano ‘yung track record, ‘yung individual track record at trabaho na track record at i-present kung ano ‘yung gagawin nila for the next three years,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters in an interview after HNP’s campaign sortie here.

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, who is among HNP’s senatorial bets, shared the presidential daughter’s stand, adding that they don’t feel alluded to by the opposition’s tirades.

“Panahon ng eleksyon ngayon talagang bakbakan, at talagang batikusan. Pero huwag na ho nating patulan ang lahat, ang importante remain focus kung ano talaga ang kailangan ng bansa at kung anong support na mabibigay natin kay President Duterte,” Marcos said.

Otso Diretso draws rebuke for resorting to black propaganda. NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net

For her part, reelectionist senator Cynthia Villar said it’s her family’s “policy” not to use “black propaganda” against their political rivals.

“Ako po ay talagang personal policy namin ng aming pamilya na hindi kami naninira ng iba. Ayaw namin niyan kasi mahirap na dadalhin mo pa sa konsensiya mo na bina-black pro (propaganda) mo ‘yung iba. Ang sasabihin namin ‘yung ginawa namin at ‘yung gagawin namin in the future,” Villar said.

Senatorial candidates and former lawmakers Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada, both endorsed by HNP, were detained for allegedly pocketing millions from their Priority Development Assistance Funds through ghost organizations linked to businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.

Marcos’ family, meanwhile, has been accused of amassing billions of ill-gotten wealth during the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos./ac