Lakas, HNP sign formal alliance

CEBU, Philippines — The tie that binds Cebu 5th District congressional candidate Vincent “Duke” Frasco and presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is further strengthened when Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) signed a formal alliance recently.

Lakas CMD was the dominant party when Speaker Gloria Arroyo was president. Frasco is a member of CMD, while Duterte-Carpio is the founder of HNP.

The two political parties signed the alliance last Wednesday at the Tacloban City Astrodome with over 5,000 in attendance.

The signing was led by Mayor Sara Duterte for HNP, former Congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for Lakas CMD, and Congresswoman Yedda Romualdez for Tingog Partylist.

Frasco, as a ranking member of Lakas CMD, stood as one of the witnesses at the signing together with his wife, Liloan Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco.

The presidential daughter had endorsed Frasco’s candidacy for Congress last October 22 during Sara's signing of the Davao Liloan Sisterhood Agreement.

In a press release, Team Frasco said that the alliance signed by the two political parties last Wednesday is seen to cement even further Duterte-Carpio's support for Frasco's bid for the fifth congressional district of Cebu.

Duterte-Carpio was the guest speaker at the gathering of local chief executives and officials, senatorial candidates, and sectoral representatives in Leyte.

In her speech, she expressed gratitude for the coalition signing and called for support for HNP’s senatorial candidates.

In her visit to Cebu, Duterte-Carpio endorsed senatorial candidates Cynthia Villar, Pia Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Jinggoy Estrada, ER Ejercito, Sergio Osmeña, Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, Koko Pimentel, Dong Mangudadatu, Sonny Angara, Tolentino, Bong Revilla, Jiggy Manicad, and Harry Roque.

Romualdez had announced that Lakas CMD will be supporting the senatorial bets endorsed by the HNP.

Aside from LAKAS-CMD, the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) also has an existing alliance with HNP.

In Cebu, NPC member and Fifth District Representative Red Durano is seeking re-election and would go against Frasco. — GAN (FREEMAN)