Revilla offers Lakas-CMD chairmanship to Sara Duterte

BIGGER VEHICLE Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte takes her oath as a member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats at the Revilla Farm in Silang, Cavite, on Thursday. Administering the oath is House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD President Martin Romualdez (left), with Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., the party’s chair, as witness. | Photo from the Office of Majority Leader Martin Romualdez

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. on Wednesday offered his current post as chairman of the Lakas-CMD party to Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio ahead of the 2022 national elections.

Revilla made the offer a few days after Duterte-Carpio joined Lakas-CMD and filed her candidacy for vice presidency under the party.

“I have full trust and confidence in Mayor Sara Duterte’s leadership, I believe that she will steer the Party towards victory in 2022. In full support of Mayor Sara Duterte’s candidacy for Vice President, I am offering her my post as Chairman of Lakas-CMD,” Revilla said in a statement.

Duterte-Carpio is running for vice president with former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who is vying for the presidential seat, as her running mate.

Women in power

Former President and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who serves as the party’s president emeritus and a stalwart of the party, was conspicuously absent during Duterte-Carpio’s transfer to Lakas-CMD, but was largely believed to have contributed significantly to the latter’s decision to run for a post and join their party.

Lakas-CMD had fielded placeholders for the top two elective posts for Duterte-Carpio, who had then filed her certificate of candidacy for reelection as mayor of Davao City.

Aside from their random meetings, Duterte-Carpio allegedly helped install Arroyo as speaker of the House of Representatives.