DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 October) — Mayor Sara Duterte met with the Marcos siblings in Cebu over the weekend to discuss how Hugpong ng Pagbabago, a regional political party co-founded by the Davao City mayor, could help former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s candidacy for President in the May 2022 polls.
The mayor, who was isolated after contracting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) last October 9, flew to Cebu on October 22 to and met with Marcos and his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, the following day.
In her social media post, she confirmed attending a closed-door meeting with the Marcos siblings during the birthday celebration of Yedda Mari, Tingog Sinirangan partylist Representative and wife of House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez.
“Confirmed po na nagkita kami ngayon lang ni Presidential aspirant at former Senator BBM sa masayang pagdiriwang ng birthday ni Cong. Yedda, maybahay ni House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez sa Cebu (I confirm that I met with Presidential aspirant and former Senator BBM just now at the birthday celebration of Cong. Yedda, wife of House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez in Cebu),” she said.
ABS-CBN News reported from Cebu that the mayor told reporters there that one of the things discussed between her and Marcos was how HNP could help Marcos’ presidential bid.
Marcos’ father, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, was elected in 1965 and reelected in 1969 for his second and last four-year term until 1973. His father declared martial law in September 1972 and ruled as a dictator until he was ousted by People Power in February 1986.
The mayor’s father, President Rodrigo Duterte, had earlier asked Sara to either support the tandem of Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go for President and himself as Vice President or make Go her Vice President should she run for President.
Go did not run for President but filed his COC for Vice President under the President’s party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) faction of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.
The party fielded Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to run for President amid reports Dela Rosa is just a placeholder for whoever will substitute for him on or before November 15, the last day for substitution of candidates.
Mayor Duterte and the Marcos siblings met again for dinner on Saturday with Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, as arranged by her spokesperson, Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco, and husband Cebu 5th District Representative Vincent Franco Frasco.
The Davao City mayor first won the top post in 2010 with the President as her Vice Mayor. She did not run for mayor in 2013 because her father ran mayor. In 2016, the Duterte patriarch filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor but later substituted for then PDP-Laban Presidential candidate Martin Dino. In his stead, Sara substituted for her father in the mayoralty race in 2016.
She filed her COC for reelection on October 2 at the Commission on Elections office here.
“Like the other millions of Filipinos, I share with you the same goal of living a peaceful and prosperous life in our country, today and in many years to come. I am presenting myself to the Dabawenyos as mayor for the third and last time in my life as a politician. I call on everyone to work together for an honest, orderly, and credible election in May 2022,” Duterte said in her statement on the last day of the filing of COCs on October 8 amid calls from her supporters to run for president.
Mayor Duterte thanked the people who supported her.
“I have been honored with the gift of trust and respect of many of our fellow Filipinos. A gift that is one in a million. Thank you to everyone who has expressed their support. Many of you do not know me and yet you carry me over your shoulders,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
Sara Duterte and Marcos siblings discuss how HNP can help Bongbong’s Presidential bid
Source: Viral News Filipino
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