Sara Duterte endorses Mocha Uson, Pia Cayetano for senator

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — It is not yet campaign period but Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, in a way, has endorsed two women candidates for senator during gatherings of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Macau and Hong Kong over the weekend.

The presidential daughter picked Presidential Communications Operations Office assistant secretary Mocha Uson and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano for the Senate in the May polls next year.

Duterte-Carpio pushed for Uson and Cayetano  during the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines meetings with OFWs.

“Sila ang ilagay nating mga senator (Let us elect them as senators),” she said. 

Cayetano, formerly a senator, is currently the congressional representative from Taguig City. She is the older sister of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

Uson, on the other hand, earlier said she would run for the Senate on one condition.

“Kung tatakbo man po ako, ito po ay dahil si Pangulong Duterte na mismo ang nagpatakbo sa akin (If ever I would run, it would be because President Duterte told me to do so),” Uson said.

Both Uson and Cayetano were with Duterte-Carpio and presidential son Sebastian in the events in Macau and Hong Kong.

Secretary Cayetano and his wife Tapang and Malasakit convenor and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, Public Works Undersecretary Karen Jimeno and actor Robin Padilla were also present. 

Last Friday, Duterte-Carpio formed the Hugpong ng Pagbabago regional political party together with four governors in Southern Mindanao.

She said they would submit the local party for accreditation with the Commission on Elections.

Compostela Valley Gov. Tyron Uy, Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang, Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario and Davao Occidental Gov. Claude Bautista and 500 other local officials in the region have joined Duterte-Carpio in Hugpong.