Sara Duterte commences ‘Tapang at Malasakit Alliance’

Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday spearheaded the launch of “Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines.” (Photo: Inday Sara Duterte Supporters/Facebook)

Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday spearheaded the launch of “Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines,” to unite Filipinos and garner support for government campaigns.

The alliance consists of President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters during the 2016 presidential elections. According to the list prepared by the organizers, the launching was attended by hundreds of Duterte advocates.

At the Marquis Events Place at the Bonifacio Global Center in Taguig City, Duterte-Carpio said the alliance aspire to heal the political divide during the elections.

“This is not a political party. Tapang at Malasakit is an alliance of initially all the groups that supported the campaign of President Duterte during the elections. But this is also a call to all Filipinos to come together for our country,” Duterte-Carpio told reporters, adding that this alliance is not part of any campaign or any plot on national position.

Mayor Duterte said she acknowledged dissent is a facet of democracy but added that the matter is completely different when you lie to oppose.

“And it’s very bad if you paint a sad and hopeless Philippines outside. Okay lang siguro if mag-away dito sa loob. Tayo lang naman eh. Pero ‘pag reputasyon na ng bansa natin ang nasisira sa mga kapitbahay natin, mali po ‘yon [It is probably okay to fight here inside. It’s just between us. But if the country’s reputation is being destroyed to our neighbor countries, that’s wrong],” said Duterte.

Last week, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV had met with US Senator Marco Rubio to converse about alliance of the two countries and the protection of human rights amid the administration’s war on drugs.

Trillanes was among Duterte’s critics and has accused his family of having undeclared wealth in their bank accounts.

“Let us side our personal politics that has torn our country every time we have a new president…. Let us change that. [In] 5 years, we need to push and push and push and see a change in 5 years,” Mayor Duterte said in her speech.

The alliance spokesperson and Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Karen Jimeno, for her part, said that the alliance is also to call for unity when the country is “on the verge of something very important”, referring to the rehabilitation of the war-torn Marawi City.

“For greater causes, we have to be positive and help each other out. We should not condone destructive politicking,” Jimeno said.

“Let us not be distracted by the noise created by clashing political interests. We support freedom of speech and expression,” she added.

Jimeno had further explained that members of the coalition need to know the difference between “constructive criticisms” and “destructive politicking.”

Aside from the support groups, among those who attended in the said launching were Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, Foreigh Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson and Bruce Rivera, along with pro-Duterte bloggers also joined in the event.

Abella stressed that the alliance was not a show of force by the administration, saying that Duterte-Carpio was merely “gathering all the forces, all the people towards a more engagement in nation building.”

He also added that the alliance was not formed in preparation for the 2019 elections.