Dutertes’ parties to lord it over in Davao City polls

DAVAO CITY — Local politicians running under an alliance of political parties founded by President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio are expected to dominate the elections in this city on May 13, 2019.

At the end of filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) at the Commission on Elections-Davao in Magsaysay Parkon Wednesday, at least 35 out of 53 candidates for councilors and three out of the five candidates for district representatives will run under the Hugpong Alliance.

The alliance came to being after Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) of presidential daughter and incumbent Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio joined forces with Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL), a local party of then mayor and now President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

Resigned Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte heads HTL as its new president.

Carpio filed her COC on Monday with only one opponent, Magdaleno Marcellones, while Sebastian, the youngest son of the President with wife Elizabeth, will run unopposed for vice mayor.

The former vice mayor filed his candidacy for representative of the city’s first congressional district, a known bailiwick of the Nograles family, last October 12 under HTL. Incumbent first District Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles is now on his third and last term.

Two other candidates – Susana S. Uyanguren and Rex M. Labis – have also filed their COCs challenging Paolo for the position.

Meanwhile, former legislators Vincent D. Garcia and Isidro Ungab are on the comeback trail after they filed candidacies for congressional seats as representatives of the city’s District 2 and District 3, respectively. Both will run under HNP.

For the city council nine of 19 candidates in the first district belong to either HNP or HTL; 16 out of 22 candidates in the second district will carry the banner of the two parties, while 10 of 13 bets in the third district will run under the Hugpong Alliance.