CEBU CAMPAIGN. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte joins local and national candidates under her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), in a photo opportunity along with their supporters from Cebu City who jampacked the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Convention Center Cebu during the party's campaign caravan on Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Photo by John Rey Saavedra)
CEBU CITY — Coughing failed to stop Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte from attending the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) campaign caravan in Metro Cebu, said an official here who noticed the presidential daughter’s health condition.
Vice Mayor Edgar Labella on Thursday thanked Mayor Sara for her effort to pitch for local and national candidates who are supportive of the regional party and the programs of her father, President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Mayor Inday shows to us her true leadership. That despite her not feeling well, she still came to Cebu and rally the candidates under the banner of Hugpong ng Pagbabago. Wala gyud ta niya biyai (She did not leave us),” Labella told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
In his message before the start of the campaign, Labella said he will not fail Duterte and her regional party, HNP, if he gets elected as mayor of Cebu City.
“Dili namo kini hikalimtan ang imong paghatag og gibug-aton sa among politikanhong pundok. Kining gugma nga imong gihatag sa Hugpong ng Pagbabago amo gayo’ng tugbangan og gugma pinaagi sa pagpaluyo niining tanang mga senador ug kanimo nga mamahimong umaabot namong presidente (We will not forget this moment in giving weight to our political group. The love that Hugpong ng Pagbabago has given to us will be reciprocated by supporting all her senatorial candidates and to her, the future president),” he said.
Mayor Sara attended the campaign sortie in Tagbilaran, Bohol on Wednesday and endorsed gubernatorial candidate, former Cabinet secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr.
On Thursday morning, she proceeded to Mandaue City for the first round of the campaign caravan. At the Mandaue Sports and Cultural Complex, she endorsed incumbent Mayor Luigi Quisumbing and the entire slate for councilor of the city.
In the afternoon, the Davao City mayor arrived at past 4 p.m. at the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) Convention Center-Cebu to endorse HNP's senatorial line-up headed by former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.
Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa told the crowd of 8,000 inside the IEC Convention Center that “Sara still attended the campaign sortie of HNP even if she is not feeling well".
In a separate interview, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino said she admired the leadership of Mayor Duterte in the HNP regional party.
“She could have opted to take a rest kay giubo (because of her cough). But she’s here to endorse her favorite candidates for senator and Labella,” Dino said, adding that “being in the campaign is a very tiring job, more so that she’s the leader of these campaign rallies.”
On Friday morning, the presidential daughter will visit Liloan to formalize an alliance with One Cebu party headed by Cebu’s third district Rep. and gubernatorial candidate, Gwendolyn Garcia and mayors who are members of her local party.
In the afternoon, she will also woo voters in her father’s hometown, Danao City. (PNA)
