Hugpong shuns opposition’s ‘attacks’ anew, to focus on campaign
SANTIAGO CITY, Philippines — Davao City mayor and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) leader Sara Duterte-Carpio reiterated that her party’s Senate bets would just focus on campaigning for the May polls amid the opposition bets’ “negative campaigning.”
“Hindi naman sa amin nanggaling ‘yung word na negative campaigning I think nanggaling sa mga tao ‘yun na nakakita, nakarinig ng mga sinasabi nila,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters here in an interview Wednesday morning.
“Basta kami we focus on… ang kampanya nga namin positive change e so we focus on everything positive. Lahat ng pwedeng magawa ng senators for the next three years na ikagaganda ng bansa natin,” she added.
The presidential daughter made the remark after the opposition slate “Otso Diretso” called out its competitors with records of graft and corruption.
The group, led by the Liberal Party, even added that telling the “truth” cannot be considered a form of negative campaigning or politicking.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: ‘Attacks’ on Hugpong bets just ‘painful truth’ — opposition
Article continues after this advertisementThe HNP earlier claimed that they don’t feel alluded to by the opposition bets’ tirades.
The HNP is endorsing the candidacy of 13 pro-administration senatorial candidates which include former senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estada, who were detained for allegedly pocketing millions from their Priority Development Assistance Funds in 2014.
Revilla, who has been acquitted of plunder, and Estrada, who is out on bail, claim they were victims of selective justice under the Aquino administration.
READ: Jinggoy maintains innocence: We’re victims of selective justice
Also included in HNP’s lineup is Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, whose family was accused of amassing billions of ill-gotten wealth during the dictatorship of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. /cbb