DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte said she is uncertain if the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) would still want to ally with Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) following the decline of support from political allies for her regional party.
VICE President Sara Duterte (FB)
Duterte said in a press conference that she and Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) Mayor Al David T. Uy are the only remaining members of HNP, the regional party that she founded on February 22, 2018.
Its co-founders were then governors of the Davao region – Davao Occidental’s Claude Bautista, Davao del Norte’s Antonio del Rosario, Davao Oriental’s Nelson Dayanghirang, and Davao de Oro’s Jayvee Tyron Uy who is now vice governor.
Vice Gov. Uy, Davao del Norte Vice Gov. Oyo Uy, Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy, and Davao de Oro first district Rep. Maricar Zamora were expelled from the HNP on April 15 “in light of recent events and actions that have been found to conflict with the core principles and policies of our party.”
“Wala pa kaming discussion na mag-alliance with PDP, but hindi ko alam kung bakit pa nila gustong makipag-alyansa sa amin. Dadalawa lang kami doon na sa partido – ako at si Mayor Al David Uy ng Samal. Kami na lang doon sa partido sa HNP (We have not yet discussed whether there will be an alliance with PDP, but I don't know why they still want to form an alliance with us. There are only two of us in the party – me and Mayor Al David Uy of Samal. We're the only ones there at the HNP party),” Duterte said.
Months after it was launched, the HNP allied with Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL), a local political party led by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, and subsequently established Hugpong Alliance where several local candidates ran under in the 2019 and 2022 national and local elections.
The HNP endorsed its own slate of senatorial candidates in previous elections.
However, the Vice President said she has no senatorial slate yet as she is busy defending her office from controversies, including allegations of budget misuse at budget hearings in Congress.
“Wala akong Senate slate, wala akong senators. Kasi nga sabi ko nakatutok kami defending the Office of the Vice President. I feel that that is my primary duty right now to defend the office (I don't have a Senate slate, I don't have senators. Because I said we are focused on defending the Office of the Vice President. I feel that that is my primary duty right now to defend the office),” she added.