Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros said Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s recent withdrawal from the Davao City’s mayoral race really “sounds familiar.”

Hontiveros said she finds it similar to what President Duterte—then Davao City mayor—pulled off during the May 2016 national elections.

“Well, it certainly sounds familiar. It feels familiar,” Hontiveros said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

“Parang part 2 ng ginawa ni Presidente noong (It’s like a Part 2 of what the President did in) 2016. So all denials notwithstanding, abangan ang susunod na kabanata hanggang sa Lunes (let’s wait for the next chapter, until Monday), because 15th November is the deadline for substitution. That is the moment for truth, not only for her, but for all of us,” the reelectionist senator said.

Asked if she welcomes the bill that seeks to change the rules on the substitution of candidates, Hontiveros said she supports it.

“I welcome the bill filed by some of my colleagues in the Senate, mula sa majority pa (which was filed by the majority), seeking an amendment of that provision in the Omnibus Election Code,” said the senator who is a member of the Senate Minority bloc.

“Palagay ko panahon na na i-review nga yung probisyong iyon (I think its time to review that provision) so that we will see less of the kind of scenarios that are materializing these days, less of this kind of drama,” she pointed out.

Hontiveros said the bill, which is now pending both in the Senate and House of Representatives, seeking to amend the substitution rule during elections, would help stop political manuevering and advance the country’s electoral system.

“At kung maisulong nga natin yung isang (If we are able to pursue an) Omnibus election code that is more supportive of the behavior on the part of all of us candidates, mga partido natin (our political parties), developing a genuine political party system, supporting the emergence of more real political parties, that would be a scene na mas hindi mangyayari ang ganitong klaseng mga maneuvers (that would stop these kind of maneuvers),” she said.

“Makakatulong lang sa ating (It will help our) political system and it will really advance electoral reforms,” the senator stressed.

Duterte-Carpio recently withdrew her reeleection bid, fueling talks she would be vie for the presidency or vice presidency in next year’s polls.

In 2016, her father, now President Duterte, said he would not run for president but later withdrew his candidacy for reelection as Davao City mayor and instead joined the presidential race as a last-minute substitute for Martin Diño, who was then the standard bearer of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban).

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who is the standard bearer of the PDP-Laban for the 2022 elections has said he would support Duterte-Carpio should she decide to run for the presidency.