MANILA – Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Monday thanked Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) for endorsing him as one of their possible senatorial candidates in the 2019 elections.
“Well, I would like to thank Mayor Sara. I would also like to thank PDP-Laban that they included me also on their list of 24 possible candidates,” Roque said in an interview over radio dzRH.
Last week, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a fast emerging regional political party headed by the presidential daughter, has endorsed nine personalities including Roque.
The list also included Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, former Philippine National Police chief and now Bureau of Corrections head Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, Maguindanao Rep. Zajid ‘Dong’ Mangudadatu and reelectionist Senators JV Ejercito, Sonny Angara and Cynthia Villar.
HNP bared the list a week after it forged an alliance with three national and six local political parties.
The HNP’s new national partners include the Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition and National Unity Party while the local parties include Ilocano Timpuyog, Alyansa Bol-anon Alang sa Kausaban (Abaka), Aggrupation of Party for Progress, Kambilan, PaDayon Pilipino and Serbisyo sa Bayan Party.
PDP-Laban also released last week its own initial list of 24 possible senatorial candidates and asked President Rodrigo Duterte, the party chairman, to help in finalizing the list.
The PDP-Laban list also includes Go, Mangugudato, Dela Rosa, Villar, Angara and Ejercito.
In his letter to the President, PDP-Laban president and reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III also listed other party mates Freddie Aguilar, Jiggy Manicad, and Reps. Karlo Alexei Nograles, Geraldine Roman, Monsour del Rosario, Alfredo Benitez and Carlo “Dax” Cua.
Pimentel told the President that they can recruit from “friends of the party” like Mayor Sara, Robin Padilla, former Senator Lito Lapid, Rafael Alunan and Mon Tulfo; and Senate majority coalition members Senators Grace Poe and Nancy Binay.
While he appreciates the endorsement from both HNP and PDP-Laban, Roque said his focus remains on his work as spokesperson of the President and not on the 2019 polls.
“Although filing is near, I continue to pray for divine guidance on what I should do,” Roque said.
He said raising funds is his top consideration “because you know democracy in the Philippines is so expensive”.