87% for Hugpong

Hugpong ng Pagbabago party gets Dabawenyos’ support

EIGHTY-SEVEN percent of Dabawenyos show strong support to the newly-formed regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

In a survey conducted by the Institute of Popular Opinion of the University Mindanao last April in the city, with a total of 1,200 respondents, 87 percent of Dabawenyos said that they will support HNP, nine percent said otherwise, three percent were ambivalent and a percent did not respond.

“We also wanted to know through this study

as to the HNP’s impact to the current presidency,” Dr. Ma. Linda Arquiza, University of Mindanao Assistant Vice President for Research and Publication Center, said in a press conference yesterday at Habi at Kape.

Arquiza added the strong support of the Dabawenyos to HNP is also a reflection to the Dabawenyos’ strong support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

“Here we can see that the percentage that rose to 87 percent or almost nine of 10 Dabawenyos still supporting the current administration. This also shows Dabawenyos’ unity.”

The respondent in the study also considered the HNP’s formation as a wise strategy to strengthen regional party, and eventually will make the president’s political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), even stronger.

The study also suggested the formation of HNP might attract the national party members to join them come the midterm elections.

According to the study, this initiates political infighting in PDP-Laban as top implication brought by the formation of HNP.

“But one thing is for sure with the initiation of the HNP, clearly, a large number of Dabawenyos are strongly supporting the current administration,” Arquiza added.

MACKY LIM STILL HERE. Yuan Wang 3, A Chinese tracking and surveillance ship, is docked at Davao City’s Sasa Wharf since Monday evening for refurbishing. It is expected to depart today, July 19. Also last month, two Chinese aircraft arrived in the city to refuel.