Sara Duterte owns up to Mangudadatu’s exclusion in HNP’s campaign display

The image of Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu was not included in Hugpong ng Pagbabago’s (HNP) backdrop LED in its campaign sortie in Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City on Feb. 28, 2019. PHOTO by Darryl John Esguerra /INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) leader and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio owned up to lapses that led to the exclusion of senatorial candidate Dong Mangudadatu’s image in the LED display during the party’s recent campaign sortie in Quezon City.

“I understand it was (the) inadvertence by the HNP Secretariat and we already apologized to senator candidate Dong Mangudadatu,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters Tuesday after HNP’s campaign event in Antipolo City.

She said the mistake is among the many problems they encounter in running the campaign.

“I hope it does not happen again. It has been the topic of the meetings of HNP Secretariat already,” she added.

The presidential daughter made the remark after Mangudadatu pointed to Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte as the one responsible for the incident.

The Maguindanao representative said that Belmonte, who is running as Quezon City mayor, has political reasons for excluding his image from the LED display during HNP’s campaign sortie at the Amoranto Sports Complex last Thursday.

READ: Where’s Dong? Mangudadatu not in HNP’s LED poster; Sara Duterte apologizes

Mangudadatu alleged that his photo was deliberately taken off the display because of his close ties with Bingbong Crisologo, who is currently Quezon City’s 1st District Representative.

“It’s very clear na may konting problema doon at saka pangalawa, I’m very close to Bingbong Crisologo. Siya po ay isang matalik na kaibigan na pinatakbo namin sa Quezon City,” Mangudadatu told reporters on Monday.

(It’s very clear that there is a little problem there. Second, I’m very close to Bingbong Crisologo. He is a good friend and we asked him to run in Quezon City.)

“That’s the essence of the culture of politics in our country. E nararapat lang na hindi nila ilagay ‘yung picture ko don sa backdrop kasi alam naman po nila na doon ako sa kabila (It is not surprising that they exclude my picture at the backdrop because they know that I’m with the other side),” he added.

Crisologo is Belmonte’s rival in the Quezon City mayoral race. /ee