Speak up vs Alvarez, Sara prods senators

THE fight ain’t over yet for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who on Friday stepped up her attack on Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez by urging senators to speak up and expose the House leader’s supposed sinister motives.

The feisty daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte made the call a day after she lambasted Alvarez over his unsavory statements about her newlyformed regional party, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) which included Davao Region’s four provincial governors — Claude Bautista of Davao Occidental, Nelson Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental, Antonio Rafael del Rosario of Davao del Norte, and Jayvee Tyron Uy of Compostela Valley.

“Tell PRD kungano ginagawani

Alvarez sainyo ( tell President Rodrigo Duterte what Alvarez is up to). The only way the President will know is if you will speak up,” the mayor said in her Instagram post on Friday. Photos of all 24 senators accompanied her post.

Only one of the 24 senators — Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd — is a member of the ruling party PDP-Laban.

In a news conference in Davao City during the formal launch of HNP on Friday, the President’s daughter was adamant that Alvarez badmouthed her.

“He said I was acting alone. He said HNP is a product of political dynasties; that HNP does not have the approval of the President and as such, we are part of the opposition,” she said. “Those things after I talked to the mayor who was in talks with him (Speaker).”

The mayor earlier accused Alvarez of being thick-faced, claiming that he was plotting to impeach her father.

Sara had assured the public that the establishment of HNP had her father’s blessings. She added that she will no longer be part of the PDP-Laban.

Speaker?

The President’s daughter also did not rule out a possible stint as Speaker of the House. “Dalawalang naman kapupuntahan ko (I’m down to two run for senator. It’s just city mayor or congressman,” she said.

Mayor Duterte said in previous interviews that she was open to running for a congressional seat in May 2019.

Alvarez is also eligible for reelection as Davao del Norte representative in 2019.

Should Sara and Alvarez win a seat at the House, both are eligible to run for the speakership.