Salimbangon named head of coalition with Sara’s party

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu Fourth District Representative Benhur Salimbangon is chosen as the coalition chairman for Cebu following the alliance of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and the National Unity Party (NUP).

Launched in February this year, the HNP (Faction for Change) signed an alliance with three national parties – Nacionalista Party (NP), National People’s Coalition (NPC), and NUP last Monday, to ensure support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s political agenda given the impending midterm elections in 2019.

“Our effort to help the President will be much easier with the participation of other big national parties such as NP, NPC and other regional political groups. We want President Duterte to succeed in his administration for the good of the country and the people,” Salimbangon said.

In 2013 and 2016 elections, Salimbangon run under NUP and 1 Cebu Party led by then governor, now Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia, of Cebu’s third congressional district.

Salimbangon is now on his final term and his wife, Janice, may run for Congress in next year’s elections.

Salimbangon was groomed to run for vice governor as runningmate of Garcia who is considering running for governor in the 2019 elections.

One Cebu Party secretary-general, former congressman Pablo John Garcia, welcomed Salimbangon’s appointment as the coalition chairman for Cebu, saying he was also a founding member of NUP.

The NUP is a political party formed by former members of the Lakas-Kabalikat ng Mamayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) led by former Deputy Speaker Pablo Garcia in 2011.

An agreement was also signed with six local political parties from different parts of the country such as 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; Ilocano Timpuyog or Nacionalista Party - Ilocos Norte chapter; Kambilan of Pampanga, and PaDayon Pilipino of Misamis Oriental.

Duterte-Carpio said the HNP is willing to help the embattled Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which is torn by infighting among its factions.

She said the HNP is offering a hand of friendship to all other political parties who support the administration of her father.

In July 2018, the Commission on Elections granted the accreditation of HNP. (FREEMAN)