Mayor Sara Duterte sworn in as Lakas-CMD member
CAVITE, November 11, 2021 –Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Davao Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio was sworn in as a new member of the party by Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) president and House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez.
The Lakas-CMD political party has reportedly fielded a placeholder for both president and vice president. She may file a substitution for either of the top offices on Monday, November 15, which is the deadline set by the Commission on Elections.
Earlier in the day, Ms. Carpio quit the regional party that she set up in 2018. “It is with profound sadness that I hereby tender my resignation from our beloved party,” Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said in a hand-written letter shared by the Hugpong ng Pagbabago party.
Local convenors of the “Run, Sara, Run” here have earlier planned to hold a grand caravan in Pasay City from November 14 to 15 to further urge Mayor Sara to run for president in the 2022 polls.
DAVAO CITY, November 11, 2021 – Mayor Sara Z. Duterte on Thursday resigned from her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), two days after she dropped her reelection bid in the city.
In a message sent to Philippine News Agency (PNA), Anthony G. Del Rosario, HNP’s Secretary-General, confirmed Duterte’s resignation through a handwritten letter sent at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.
Duterte, In her letter to the HNP officers and members, wrote: “It is with profound sadness that I hereby tender my resignation from our beloved party. My support will always be with you and I will always be grateful for all the things you have taught me.”
Del Rosario said they will continue supporting the presidential daughter despite her decision to leave their party.
“While we are saddened by her resignation, we however wish her all the best in her future plans. Godspeed po Mayor Sara. In our hearts, you will always be our Chairperson. We love you po,” he said.
“We will have a meeting regarding the plans of HNP going forward,” Del Rosario added.
Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Davao de Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy, who co-founded HNP in 2018, said Duterte called them up to inform them of her decision to resign.
“She clarified that her love and support remains in HNP,” he added.
Uy added that because of Duterte’s kindness and good deeds for Davao de Oro, they will continue to give her their all-out support whatever the presidential daughter’s decision might be.
HNP was launched on Feb. 23, 2018 with Duterte as chairperson, Davao Occidental Governor Claude Bautista as president, Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang as the vice-president, Del Rosario as secretary-general, and Uy as the party’s treasurer.
In July 2018, Commission on Elections granted the accreditation of HNP.
Sara withdraws from mayoralty race; Baste replaces her
WITHDRAW. Mayor Sara Z. Duterte (center) exits from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Davao City after she withdrew her candidacy for reelection on Tuesday afternoon (November 9). The presidential daughter said Vice Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte will replace her and lawyer Melchor Quitain Jr. was their nominee for the position of vice mayor. (Photo courtesy of Arjoy Ceniza)
DAVAO CITY, November 9, 2021 – Mayor Sara Z. Duterte on Tuesday afternoon withdrew her re-election bid and named her brother, Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, as her substitute.
In a Facebook post, the presidential daughter said her brother, who has also officially backed out of the vice mayoral race, will now be substituted by lawyer Melchor Quitain Jr.
“This is all for now. Thank you very much,” Sara added.
Around 13 minutes after her announcement on her Facebook account, more than 11,000 netizens commented and 30,000 have already shared the post. The netizens expressed excitement and happiness about the presidential daughter’s decision.
Like his sister, Baste announced his withdrawal via Facebook and thanked the Dabawenyos for the support they have given him. He later proceeded to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office here to withdraw his candidacy right after his sister’s own withdrawal.
“I have filed my withdrawal as Vice Mayor candidate of Davao City. I hereby nominate Atty. Melchor Quitain Jr. as my substitute,” he said.
“I am deeply grateful to the Dabawenyos for the support they have given me all this time. I have no other details to share at the moment. Thank you,” he added.
It can be recalled that Baste filed his certificate of candidacy for the vice mayoral post at the Comelec office on October 3.
For his part, Quitain said Baste’s decision to pick him as his substitute came as a surprise.
“I was advised by VM to substitute him yesterday (Nov. 8). It was very short notice and even up to now I still can’t believe what had happened,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview.
“I thought that I have a problem with my ear and I’m not sure if I heard him right. It is like that time stood still, I become deaf and I cannot believe it. It’s the first time that I felt such excitement and at the same time fear,” Quitain added.
He thanked the Vice Mayor for the trust and the opportunity he gave him.
“It’s really an honour I thank him personally but I’m not sure if ‘thank you’ is even enough for the opportunity that he has given me,” Quitain said.
Without an adversary for the 2022 elections, Quitain said he has very big shoes to fill as he cited that four Dutertes have previously served as the vice mayor of the city.
“As of now, I can’t think of changes or improvement because they have done a really excellent job running the City Council. I will just try to equal and maintain what they have started,” he added.
Quitain is the City Council’s majority floor leader and has served six years as a councillor of the first district.
Challenge
In an interview on Monday (November 8), Davao de Oro Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy and the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) treasurer told the PNA that he was optimistic that Mayor Sara will take on the challenge and run for president in the coming 2022 polls.
“According to her last statement that she decided not to run, I will still wait until November 15. Knowing Mayor Inday, she is a strong-minded person she knows what she’s doing and I just hope there’s a miracle to happen,” he said.
Uy also said that as a Duterte ally, he believed that the people is waiting for her decision and they are hopeful that she will heed their call.
Last week, Duterte has appealed to her supporters to cancel their planned Cotabato to Manila caravan from November 4 to 15.
“I am respectfully appealing to the organizers of Sara All Philippines 2022 to forego the planned Cotabato to Manila caravan from November 4 to 15,” Duterte said in her official Facebook account.
Local convenors of the “Run, Sara, Run” here have earlier planned to hold a grand caravan in Pasay City from November 14 to 15 to further urge Mayor Sara to run for president in the 2022 polls.
Sara reiterated that the caravan was unnecessary because a decision had already been made public as early as September 10 that she is not running for President. (PNA)
November 11, 2021