GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Backed by LGUs, Sara-led HNP campaigns in 41 provinces
With local officials playing hosts and organizing rallies, the administration-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) campaigned in 41 out of the 81 provinces using up 78 days of the 90-day campaign period.
HNP started as a Davao-based political party of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter, but which became a coalition after other political parties and individuals from all over the country allied to it in the run up to the elections.
It even eclipsed the President's political party, PDP-Laban, which appeared just like one of the allied parties in the coalition.
HNP has set a grande miting de avance on Thursday, May 9 at San Pedro Square, Davao City for its final salvo before Monday's elections. Duterte will grace the occasion.
Confidential adviser
Sara said it was a certain Kuya Edwin, HNP’s political adviser, who laid the groundwork for the campaign.
Sara, however, did not give Edwin’s real name since he was a confidential adviser.
“Kuya Edwin, our political adviser, created an itinerary that allowed us to move quickly across many areas. His point was to make many rallies akin to local candidates' rallies, so that the senators are brought closer to the voters,” Sara told GMA News Online.
In many of its rallies, HNP made sure that the crowd is treated to song and dance numbers from celebrities, so that the event would not be purely speeches from Sara and the senatorial candidates.
Harder than expected
Sara, however, admitted that the entire campaign period was harder that what she has expected.
“We had 73 [campaign] rallies including Davao City [for the miting de avance] on May 9. I was sick three times so I had to use a cocktail of medicines to make me feel better immediately,” Sara said.
At one point, she admitted she considered leaving the coalition due to fatigue brought about by the national campaign and different quarters seeking HNP’s endorsement.
“I used the evenings to rest and the days without rallies when I went home to Davao to recharge,” Sara said.
Barnstorming
Of the 41 provinces the coalition visited, 14 are in the top 17 provinces with most number of registered voters ranging from at least one million to as high as three million (Cebu) based on Commission on Elections (Comelec) records.
Likewise, Hugpong also barnstormed nine of the 15 cities in Metro Manila and one municipality in Metro Manila (Pateros) also within the 78 days of campaigning.
These nine cities are: Las Piñas, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Parañaque, Pasig, Quezon City, San Juan and Taguig.
Of these nine, five are in the top 20 vote-rich cities in the country with over 300,000 voters namely: Las Piñas (at least 328,000), Manila (1.06 million), Parañaque (at least 328,000), Quezon City (1.3 million) and Taguig City (at least 440,000).
The 41 provinces where HNP campaigned are:
- Agusan Del Norte
- Agusan Del Sur
- Antique
- Bataan
- Batangas
- Benguet
- Bohol
- Bukidnon
- Bulacan
- Camarines Sur
- Camiguin
- Cavite
- Cebu
- Compostela Valley
- Davao Del Norte
- Davao Del Sur
- Davao Oriental
- Ilocos Norte
- Ilocos Sur
- Isabela
- Laguna
- Lanao Del Norte
- Leyte
- Misamis Occidental
- Misamis Oriental
- Negros Occidental
- Negros Oriental
- North Cotabato
- Northern Samar
- Nueva Ecija
- Palawan
- Pampanga
- Pangasinan
- Sorsogon
- South Cotabato
- Southern Leyte
- Sultan Kudarat
- Sulu
- Surigao Del Norte
- Surigao Del Sur
- Tawi-Tawi
HNP bets
The 13 HNP candidates are Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara, JV Ejercito, Christopher “Bong” Go, Pia Cayetano, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Jinggoy Estrada, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Zajid Mangudadatu, Jiggy Manicad
Of the 13, five are from PDP-Laban: Mangudadatu, dela Rosa, Go, Pimentel and Tolentino.
Ejercito is from Nationalist People’s Coalition, while Villar, Cayetano and Marcos belong to Nacionalista Party.
Angara is from Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino party, while Revilla is from Lakas party. Estrada is from Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino party.
Manicad is not affiliated with any political party. —LDF, GMA News
