TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte had declared to the crowd, attending the launching of the Alyansa Bol-anon Alang sa Kausaban (Abaka), that she is not interested in gunning for a seat in the Senate during the May 2019 elections.
Contrary to the speculations of many, especially that Sara continues to figure prominently in the surveys, she "consistently dispelled any interest to bid for one of the 12 Senate slots in next year's elections," according to former tabloid editor-in-chief and now book publisher Chito Fuentes.
She said that it’s nor her cup of tea to be with a collegial body like the Senate, as she recalled the time when she was Davao City's vice-mayor, she hated those speeches of her colleagues while presiding the sessions, Fuentes described Mayor Sara to The Freeman.
If she’s a senator, Mayor Sara said she would be debating with Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Presidential spokesman Secretary Harry Roque, or former MMDA chair and then Tagaytay City Mayor Francis Tolentino, all of whom she is apparently endorsing to run for the Senate instead.
Andanar, Roque and Tolentino, together with a Boholano, Secretary Ernesto Pernia of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo and Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco, joined Sara Duterte in the Abaka launching on Friday.
Sara said she would rather stay as Davao City mayor, saying “I’ll be more effective when I’m just the mayor,” of which she can still extend help to her neighbors, not just within Davao region but also Bohol and other areas.
In her speech during the launching of Abaka, she said that in forming the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a newly-registered political party in Davao region, she gathered the governors and other officials to help each other.
"When united they can speak for one voice," she said. With this in mind "the higher ups or the imperial Manila should listen to them and not the other way around," as she added that HNP would like to be allied with Abaka.
Davao City may not be perfect —because it has some government programs that were not so successful also — but they have a lot of programs with success stories to tell that may be replicated in other regions or places, Sara told the Boholanos.
The mayor also thanked the Boholanos for their support to her father President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, which for the past two years remain strong for the administration.
Tagbilaran City Mayor Baba Yap led city officials with Vice Mayor Toto Veloso and councilors in welcoming Mayor Sara during the Abaka launching.