HNP exec: Mayor Sara won't run for President if her father pursues VP bid in Eleksyon 2022

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte will not run for President in Eleksyon 2022 if her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, will pursue the vice presidency, an official of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party said Tuesday. 

"Mayor Sara already said she is not agreeable to Duterte-Duterte tandem. 
If President Duterte runs for Vice President and he endorses another candidate for President, I believe Mayor Sara and HNP will support whoever the President endorses. If that is the case, we are almost 100% sure that Mayor Sara will seek reelection [in Davao instead]," HNP secretary general Anthony del Rosario said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

"Kung matutuloy po si President Duterte bilang Vice President at may kandidato siya for President, of course, HNP has always been supportive of the President and it only follows that we support whoever he endorses," he added.

(If President Duterte will push through with running for Vice President and he has a candidate for President, of course, HNP has always been supportive of the President and it only follows that we support whoever he endorses.)

President Duterte on Monday said he was still against Sara running for President in Eleksyon 2022 to spare her from the "vagaries of politics."

In his Talk to the People, Duterte said Sara should "run some other time."

The President added that the vice presidential bid which he said he was considering was only meant to scare off his political opponents.

"Pantakot ko lang sa kanila 'yan. Let us see if it is good for the country, I will do it. If it does not contribute anything to the republic, 'wag na lang," he said.

Halfway

Del Rosario, however, said that Sara's declaration that she is open to running for President in 2022 means she is halfway in making a go for it.

"She said she is now open to it so I would imagine it is more than 50% [sure that she is running for President]. We want her to decide earlier, maybe by end of July, so we can prepare. But she said, 'give me time,'" del Rosario said. 

"She is very capable of leading this country and she will do a good job of being President," del Rosario added.

At least five political parties have expressed intent to form a coalition with HNP for the 2022 polls, but del Rosario said an agreement between parties is still being ironed out. This is because not all parties are agreeable to HNP's position that in the event Sara runs for President in 2022, the HNP will be the lone party to decide who to field for Vice President and the 12-strong Senate slate.

"There is no timeline on finishing this yet since we are awaiting feedback from each party. On HNP's proposal to choose the bet for President, Vice President and 12 senators, some parties agree but some parties want a consensus. So this is still being discussed," del Rosario said without naming the parties which are for consensus rather than ceding full authority to HNP.

Those parties seeking coalition with HNP include People's Reform Party, Lakas-CMD, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Nacionalista Party and National Union Party.

HNP is a regional party which Sara formed in 2018.

The Commission on Elections said the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for all elective positions for Eleksyon 2022 is from October 1 to 8, 2021, including Saturday and Sunday.

The elections will be held on May 9, 2022. —KG, GMA News