Davide open to alliance with Sara’s party for polls

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III is open to joining a coalition of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for next year’s elections.

“As I’ve said before, we are willing to have a coalition or an alliance (of others),” Davide, who is with the Liberal Party (LP), told reporters.

Asked if President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter already invited him, an amused Davide replied “Dili na moduol si Sara oy. Kuyawan man sad ta (Sara won’t do that. That would be quite daunting for me).”

HNP is a newly-formed regional party founded by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio this year which supports President Duterte’s administration.

President Duterte, who ran under the now incumbent Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party, also showed support to the HNP and voiced willingness to endorse the party’s candidates.

Nixon Dizon, PDP-Laban Provincial Cebu Provincial Council president, said the president promised to stick with their party.

He said there were no PDP-Laban members in Cebu who jumped ship to the HNP.

“Nagsige pa man growing ang (PDP-Laban) membership. Wala man na affected (by the new regional party) (Our PDP-Laban members are still growing and were not affected of HNP),” Dizon said in a phone interview.

He said it will be the PDP-Laban’s national leadership who will decide whether or now they will form a coalition with HNP.

In Cebu City, Vice Mayor Edgar Labella of the opposition Barug Team Rama party which is aligned with PDP-Laban, said they are willing to join the HNP.

One of Barug Team Rama’s members, Councilor Raymond Garcia, earlier claimed that the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) plans to align with the HNP.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña had declined to comment on the claim. /with a story by Reporter Morexette B. Erram