Mandaue mayor addresses HNP founder Sara Duterte as ‘the next president’

Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing delivers his declaration of support speech for the HNP at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex. CDN Digital photo | Rosalie Abatayo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu— Is Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s bid for presidency in 2022 now certain? 

The rumor surfaced anew during the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) campaign caravan here at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex on Thursday morning, March 21, 2019.

Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing, whose slate is allied with the HNP, gave the hint as he addressed the presidential daughter “the next president” in his declaration of support speech.

The Davao Mayor, though, didn’t hear Quisumbing’s statement since she didn’t arrive yet at the time the Mandaue Mayor delivered his speech. Duterte, the founder of HNP, arrived around 10 minutes after Quisumbing made the statement.

Quisumbing’s statement drew cheers from the crowd that filled the entire complex. 

Quisumbing’s slate hosted the campaign caravan of the 13 senatorial bets of Mayor Duterte’s HNP.

Among the candidates endorsed by HNP are incumbent Senators Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, Koko Pimentel and Cynthia Villar; Taguig City Rep Pia Cayetano; former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go; former political adviser  Francis Tolentino; Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos; former broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad; former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald Dela Rosa; Maguindanao Representative Zajid Mangudadatu, Bong Revilla, and Jinggoy Estrada.

The senatorial bets were present in the campaign sortie except for Angara, who was represented by his wife Tootsie, and Bong Go. /bmjo