Duterte, NPC to meet Jan. 18

MANILA, Philippines — It’s a date for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and the Nationalist People’s Coalition on January 18.

NPC spokesperson and Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga confirmed on Tuesday, the date of the planned meeting with Duterte, standard bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, which would be at the NPC’s Quezon City clubhouse.

The NPC, the second biggest political party in the country, has said it will meet with Duterte to hear him out on his plans and programs for the country as its potential next President.

This is part of the party’s process to decide which candidate to back in the May elections. No member of the NPC is running for President or Vice President.

The NPC has already met with Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, Vice President and United Nationalist Alliance standard bearer Jejomar Binay, and independent candidate Sen. Grace Poe, who has received the support of several party members.

Poe earlier expressed optimism that she would get the NPC’s support for the May elections.

After meeting with Duterte, the NPC plans to finalize its selection process.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, PDP-Laban president, said he would have no problem if the NPC decided to support his party’s standard bearer.

Asked if he was concerned about the PDP-Laban being sidelined if a bigger party would step in to help Duterte campaign for President, he said he was not thinking of such things and would not do so.

Pimentel said he would just like to make sure that Duterte’s program of government would not be hijacked.

“Whoever gets the top billing or personal credit or the people’s applause for the candidate’s victory, I don’t care. What’s important is that the agenda of government remain,” he said.

Duterte and the PDP-Laban have been advocating a shift to federalism, saying it would bring progress to other parts of the country, not just the capital.  SFM