The National Unity Party (NUP) has also expressed its willingness to support the presidential and senatorial candidates that the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a regional political party formed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, will name in its official slate for the 2022 national elections.
Earlier, the Lakas-CMD, a national party jointly headed by House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., disclosed it will defer to the HNP the privilege to choose which presidential and vice presidential candidate the latter will support in the next polls.
NUP is used to be known as the Kabalikat ng Masang PIlipino (Kampi) which, together with the Lakas-CMD, is identified with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
In a media interview on Tuesday, July 6, Reginald Velasco, NUP deputy secretary general, revealed that the HNP “will help” their political party decide on the tandem to be supported for the top posts to be contested in the 2022 national elections.
Velasco disclosed that the NUP and HNP are ready to sign the renewal of an alliance pact that will commit the former to support the choice of Mayor Duterte’s party.
“Under the agreement , kung sino ang susuportahan nila, susuportahan natin sa partido,(whoever they will support, our party will also back),” said Velasco.
However, Velasco said provisions of alliance agreements are not cast in stone especially if the political party concerned has its own “mechanisms for making decision.” “Parang iyong alliance agreement, parang expression of hope on interest na sana magsama-sama tayo. (An alliance agreement is just an expression of hope on interest that we will unite.),” the NUP official said.
He also pointed out that there is nothing definite and predictable in “actual politics”.
Velasco’s interview came on the heels of a Lakas-CMD disclosure that it will support the presidential and vice presidential candidate that Mayor Duterte’s party will choose.
Like NUP and other political parties allied with the Duterte administration, Lakas-CMD entered into an alliance pact for the 2019 elections.
The Lakas-CMD and HNP agreement will be renewed soon, according to Romualdez.
“We seek stronger cooperation in ensuring the preservation of the country’s democratic processes to further pursue a strong nation, including the conduct of peaceful and orderly elections in the service of the Filipino people,” said Romualdez, who is among those being considered to run for vice president.