Sara Duterte says she will rise and fall with Hugpong, won't join national party

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has indicated that she would not join any national political party amid speculations that she would run for president in Eleksyon 2022. 

Sara, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, has also topped the presidential preference surveys of Pulse Asia. 

"I do not intend to join any national political party," Sara said in a text message.

"I will rise and fall with the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) of Davao Region and Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) of Davao City," she added.

Albay Representative Joey Salceda and former Camarines Sur Representative Rolando Andaya Jr. both have expressed certainty that Sara would run in the presidential elections in 2022.

Multiple political parties are willing to support mayor Sara's campaign, they added.

HNP is a regional party which Sara formed in 2018.

Sara and the party successfully mounted a national campaign for several senatorial bets including those from the ruling PDP-Laban and other parties allied with the Duterte administration.

Of the 12 Senators who won in the 2019 polls, 10 had the backing of HNP led by the younger Duterte.

HTL, on the other hand, is a local party in her home city.

Former PDP-Laban president Senator Aquilino Pimentel III lauded Sara's reported rejection of joining the ruling party now chaired by her father.

A party official had reportedly said that it was not too late for Sara to join the PDP-Laban.

“Kudos to Mayor Sarah Duterte for rejecting the idea of hijacking the PDP LABAN offered to her by rogue elements in the party," Pimentel said.

"This shows us that she is a principled individual who may be interested in strengthening the party system here in our country. The PDP LABAN will field homegrown candidates as we are not lacking in talent," he added.

"Hence we do not need to import personalities. We have our party ideology to guide us," Pimentel said.  —Llanesca T. Panti/NB, GMA News