DAVAO CITY Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has categorically said that she is not running for a seat in the Senate in the 2019 mid-term elections as she focuses on building up the new regional political party Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (HNP). “Sa totoo lang hindi talaga ako tatakbo ng presidente at senator (The plain truth is, I really won’t run for president or senator,” Ms. Carpio said in a speech during the groundbreaking ceremony for the provincial capitol building of Davao Occidental in Malita. Ms. Carpio made the statement after Davao Occidental Gov. Claude P. Bautista described her, a daughter of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, in his own speech as “the future President of the Republic of the Philippines.” In an interview on the sidelines of the event, Ms. Carpio said their HNP, which she chairs, has no plans of expanding in the Visayas or Luzon, though they are not closing their doors to other local political parties that would be interested in forging an alliance. The HNP, launched in February this year, is currently undergoing evaluation by the Commission on Election for registration. The HNP is mainly a Davao Region-based party whose officers include Mr. Bautista, Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson L. Dayanghirang, Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony G. Del Rosario, and Compostela Valley Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy. — Maya M. Padillo

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR