Will Bongbong follow?
BY WENDELL VIGILIA and ASHZEL HACHERO
DAVAO City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio last night joined the Lakas-CMD party of former president and speaker Gloria Arroyo (GMA), further bolstering speculations she is running for president in next year’s elections.
Lakas-CMD president and House majority leader Martin Romualdez welcomed Duterte-Carpio to the party but kept mum on her next political move, and would not say if the party will be Duterte-Carpio’s presidential bet.
“I am confident that with Mayor Sara’s exceptional brand of leadership, she can help our party chart a new course that will ensure a brighter tomorrow for our children and the next generation,” he said.
Arroyo, the party’s president emeritus and a key political power broker, is reportedly trying to forge an alliance between Duterte-Carpio and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the May 2022 national elections.
There are talks that Marcos will also join Lakas-CMD and partner with Duterte-Carpio for next year’s polls.
But the camp of Marcos Jr., a cousin of Romualdez, earlier said the son of the late dictator has no plan to slide down as a vice presidential candidate.
Romualdez administered the oath to Duterte-Carpio at the Revilla Farm in Silang, Cavite at 6 p.m. Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Lakas chairman, witnessed the oath-taking.
Duterte-Carpio was sworn in after attending the wedding of Revilla Jr.’s daughter. Also in attendance was Marcos and fellow presidential aspirant Sen. Ronald dela Rosa of the Cusi faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party.
Dela Rosa has been saying he is ready to give way to Duterte-Carpio, if she decides to seek the presidency, although the mayor is not a member of the party.
Romualdez said the mayor’s “focus and strong leadership can steer the nation to greater heights.”
“We had long been inviting Mayor Inday to join our party as we are all impressed with her sterling qualities as a leader and we saw up close her exemplary work ethic as chief executive of Davao City,” Romualdez said.
Close ally and Rep. Joey Salceda on Wednesday said the mayor had long decided to seek the presidency but had to face “stumbling blocks” which she eventually cleared. Salceda, in May this year, said Duterte-Carpio would run for president.
Duterte-Carpio joined Lakas just hours after an announcement was made about her resignation from her local party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
HNP Secretary General Anthony del Rosario said they received the resignation letter on Wednesday morning.
“While we are saddened by her resignation, we however wish her all the best in her future plans. In our hearts, you will always be our chairperson,” del Rosario said.
Duterte-Carpio’s spokeswoman, Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco of Liloan town in Cebu, said the presidential daughter went to Balesin island in Quezon province Wednesday to also attend the birthday party of Speaker Lord Alan Velasco, one of her closest political allies.
The Davao City mayor is expected to seek higher office by substitution, following her father’s footsteps.
On October 8, an Anna Capella Velasco and a Lyle Fernando Uy filed certificates of candidacy (COCs) for president and vice president under Lakas, who are seen as mere placeholders for Duterte-Carpio.
The deadline for substitution is November 15.
In the 2016 national elections, then mayor Rodrigo Duterte was also an 11th-hour replacement.
Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao, presidential candidate of the other PDP-Laban faction, said his meeting with President Duterte on Tuesday night did not change his stance of running for the presidency.
“It wasn’t a political meeting but it provided us an opportunity to talk about our shared vision for Mindanao. Hindi nagbabago ang paninindigan ko sa pagtakbo bilang Pangulo (My decision about running for president has not changed),” Pacquiao said in a message to the media.
Pacquiao and Duterte met Tuesday night in Malacañang but members of the media were informed of it only late Wednesday.
PDP-Laban faction president Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi declined to comment on whether the Duterte-Pacquiao meeting could lead to party unity.
“Better to ask Senator Pacquiao, please,” he said.
Bernard Peralta, a member of Pacquiao’s media team, confirmed the “meeting between national leaders” but said politics was not discussed.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President and Pacquiao did not talk about politics and the meeting was “a renewal of friendship.”
Sen. Christopher Go, the Cusi faction’s vice presidential candidate, was in attendance.
“There was no talk of politics but a renewal of friendship. More importantly, it was a meeting between two national leaders from Mindanao, who discussed certain matters related to people’s concern in the area, particularly in the infrastructure and power industry.
Roque said the meeting was requested by the camp of Pacquiao, but the senator said it was “arranged by common friends.”
Pacquiao and Duterte had a falling after the senator criticized the President’s stance on the West Philippine Sea issue. He also said rampant corruption continues under the Duterte administration.
Salceda said Pacquiao will make a surprising announcement this week but refused to say if the senator is dropping from the presidential race.
“Let Manny Pacquiao announce it, not me. In the next three days, that’s the last surprise,” Salceda told ONE News. “What Manny Pacquiao will do is the last surprise and I think Sara filing for presidency will be no surprise.”
Salceda, who is a close ally of the presidential daughter, said Pacquiao’s meeting with Duterte could be a sign a reunification. — With Raymond Africa and Jocelyn Montemayor
