Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night met with the leaders of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), a spokesperson of the party has confirmed.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Quezon Representative and NPC spokesman Mark Enverga said NPC and Duterte had an “extensive discussion” as part of the party’s process in choosing which presidential bet to support in the May elections.
READ: NPC to vet Duterte; Poe confident of party support
Enverga said Duterte presented his platforms and programs if elected president.
“Naging maganda, maayos at malinaw ang naging diskusyon namin kasama si Mayor Rodrigo Duterte,” Enverga told reporters.
(Our discussion with Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was productive, systematic and clear.)
BACKSTORY: Duterte, NPC to meet Jan. 18
He said Duterte’s main platform was public order and safety, which includes curbing criminality and the rising cases involving drug abuse.
The tough-talking mayor also presented federalism as part of his platform.
Duterte has been vocal about his willingness to change the form of government to federalism to equally distribute the resources of the Philippines across the country.
“We want to hear out and engage these presidential candidates,” Enverga said, adding that the NPC would announced its presidential bet before February 9.
He said the party is bent on supporting only one presidential candidate.
He said the NPC, the country’s second biggest political party, would create an executive committee to decide on their presidential bet before the “peak” of the election campaign.
NPC had earlier met with presidential bets Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Senator Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay.
NPC has been in “constant communication” with presidential aspirant and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago but Enverga said that they would understand if she could not attend due to her health problems.
He said they would just ask a copy of Santiago’s platforms. IDL