Four more major political parties will join a coalition to be led by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) for the 2022 presidential elections, a top official of the regional party said.
The move came after the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) of House Majority Leader Martin G. Romualdez came out in support of HNP last June 23.
The Lakas-CMD’s Executive Committee authorized its party president, Romualdez, to renew its alliance with HNP for next year’s polls.
HNP Secretary General and former Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario said the National Unity Party (NUP), Nacionalista Party (NP), Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), and People’s Reform Party (PRP) will join the early bird Lakas-CMD in the coalition under HNP.
“Those are the five parties that have signified their interest to join this so-called coalition we’re building,” said Del Rosario, who added that HNP will choose the presidential and vice presidential candidates under the renewed alliance.
“As for the moment, everything is on hold because there has to be a memorandum of agreement between and among all parties . Currently, each party is reviewing the document and we’re still trying to come up with an agreement that is acceptable to all parties,” del Rosario added.
This developed as NUP Secretary General Reggie Velasco announced the NUP has decided to renew its alliance with HNP, just like Lakas-CMD did.
“They want to renew it for the 2022 elections, we are agreeable, the party is in agreement, ‘yun date na lang kung kailan pipirmahan,” Velasco said.
Like Lakas-CMD, Velasco said the party will abide by the decision of the coalition that HNP has the authority to choose the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
The NUP may also propose senatorial bets.
Among the prominent members of the NUP are party president and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., Manila Mayor Isko Moreno; Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Roberto Puno, and former Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
On Monday, Romualdez, representative of Leyte’s First District, said Lakas-CMD will support the presidential and vice presidential candidates to be chosen by the HNP.
“The Lakas-CMD will extend its full and unqualified support not only to the presidential candidate to be selected by Mayor Sara Duterte’s HNP, but also to its chosen vice-presidential candidate,” Romualdez said in response to reporters’ query on the matter.
Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), said: “The party also decided to renew its alliance on issues of good governance, national unity, and continued reforms for economic recovery, including the sustained campaign to defeat the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic.”
Del Rosario also said that HNP will remain a regional party.
“We already decided HNP will stay on as a regional party. Besides, we already missed the deadline, it’s one year before the elections. It’s already July, even if we wanted di po pwede,” del Rosario said.