Sara Duterte’s party, PRP to join forces

THE PEOPLE’S REFORM Party (PRP) of the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is set to forge an alliance with presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio’s regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) on Monday, Dec. 3.

“There will be another Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) alliance agreement signing with the People’s Reform Party (PRP) on December 3, 2018,” former presidential spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in an e-mail on Nov. 30.

Mr. Roque filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) last October to pursue his senatorial bid under the PRP.

“This will be conducted at Casa Roces, San Miguel, Manila, at 1:30 p.m. It will just be a simple ceremony with only the officials of PRP, HNP and few invited guests,” his office added.

Hugpong had formed an alliance last August with three other national parties, Senator Cynthia A. Villar’s Nacionalista Party (NP), the National People’s Coalition (NPC), and National Unity Party (NUP).

That same month, Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos’s Ilocano Timpuyog also joined HNP.

Other parties that joined HNP include Serbisyo sa Bayan Party (SBP) of National Capital Region, Alyansa Bol-anon Alang sa Kausaban (ABAKA) of Bohol, Aggrupation of Party for Progress (APP) of Zamboanga del Norte, Kambilan of Pampanga, PaDayon Pilipino of Misamis Oriental, Tingog Sinirangan of Eastern Visayas, Partido Balikatan of Bataan, and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas– CMD) of Leyte (1st District) Rep. Ferdinand Martin “FM” G. Romualdez.

Ms. Santiago founded the PRP in 1991 when she ran for president in the 1992 presidential elections.

Also on Monday, President Rodrigo R. Duterte will confer on the late senator the Quezon Service Cross, the highest award the government can bestow on outstanding civil servants.

In its statement, the Senate said only five people have been awarded the Quezon Service Cross: the departed interior secretary Jesse M. Robredo in 2012 and Senator Benigno Simeon “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. in 2004, president Ramon D.F. Magsaysay, Sr. in 1957 president Emilio Aguinaldo in 1956, and foreign affairs secretary Carlos P. Romulo in 1951. —