DAVAO CITY – Mayor Sara Duterte has asked party members to set aside plans to make the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) a national party at least after the May mid-term elections.
Mayor Sara said HNP, which is a regional party she founded with the five Davao governors last year, could prove effective after elections if it can muster a win for at least eight of the 12 senatorial candidates of the administration.
“We can truly see if HNP is effective after the election if we make admin senators win,” Sara told local candidates and officials from Davao City, Davao Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley during the HNP’s second general assembly on Thursday here.
Sara said the ultimate decision for HNP's status will depend on the party's majority.
“HNP will remain a regional party. We will use our alliances and friendship with other parties to help the administration’s senatorial line-up win,” Sara said in an interview with reporters at the sidelines of the HNP general assembly.
So far, HNP has made alliances with more than 10 national and local political parties across the country.
The mayor rallied party members to campaign for HNP's 12 senatorial candidates.
“If we cannot produce senators so what is the point of making HNP a national party,” Sara said.
HNP is endorsing the candidacies of former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa, Senator Cynthia Villar, Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, former Malacañang spokesperson Harry Roque, former journalist Jiggy Manicad, Senators JV Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Sonny Angara, Maguindanao Rep. Zahid Mangudadatu, and former Presidential adviser Francis Tolentino.
The proposal to turn HNP into a national party came up during the general assembly by amending the organization's constitution and by-laws.
HNP was registered by the Commission on Elections on July 2 as a regional political party. The party was created to position Davao Region as a development hub in the country. (PNA)
