Political analysts speculate as to next move of presidential daughter as Nov. 15 substitution deadline nears; LPU dean says it is likely a “BBM-Sara” team-up
(Eagle News) – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has tendered her resignation as chair of the regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago on Thursday, Nov. 11, a move that has set more political analysts guessing as to what could be her next move.
Her resignation from HNP was announced four days before the Nov. 15 deadline for the substitution of candidates for the May 2022 national and local elections.
The move has prompted more speculations, becoming fodder for both political analysts and observers of Philippine politics. It has also kept political opponents guessing as what her next move would be.
On Nov. 9, Mayor Inday Sara, as she is popularly called, withdrew her candidacy as reelectionist mayor in Davao City.
On Nov. 11, HNP Secretary General Anthony Del Rosario confirmed that the mayor had indeed resigned from the party.
“It is with profound sadness that I hereby tender my resignation from our beloved party. My support will always be with you and I will always be grateful for all the things you have taught me,” Mayor Sara’s hand-written resignation letter to HNP read.
Hugpong ng Pagbabago is not a national party. Under rules of the Commission on Elections, a candidate who will run for a higher office or who would be a substitute candidate for a national post should belong to the same political party as the person he or she will be replacing.
Speculations are varied as to Mayor Sara Duterte’s next move after the withdrawal of her bid to run as mayor. Among them is that she is expected to join or be adopted by the ruling PDP-Laban party which is chaired by her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, and be a substitute candidate for either the presidency or the vice-presidency.
There is also talk that she would be running as a vice-presidential bet of the ruling PDP-Laban party after Senator Christopher “Bong” Go emotionally announced that there could be changes in his vice-presidential bid. Senator Go, a former long-time aide of
President Duterte, said he would follow and respect the President’s decision and that he might not be running after all as the party’s vice-presidential bet. He said that the decision on the PDP-Laban’s final slate would be announced in the next few days, before the Nov. 15 substitution deadline.
Prior to these events, Mayor Sara Duterte flew to Cebu City to meet with presidential candidate, former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., on Oct. 23. The details of their meeting have not yet been disclosed.
-Consolidation of pro-Duterte, pro-Marcos voters-
Atty. Ma. Soledad Deriquito-Mawis, dean of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) Cavite campus thinks Sara Duterte would coalesce with Marcos Jr., to consolidate voters who favor the Duterte administration.
“I think, mas magiging BBM-Sara. Because BBM (Bongbong Marcos) is very definite on what he wants. Palagay bo ba natin, mag-slide siya at magbibigay kay mayor Duterte?” Dean Mawis said in an interview with the NET25 program “ASPN: Ano Sa Palagay Nyo?” on Nov. 10.
Mawis said it could be either a BBM-Sara, or a Sara-BBM tandem that coule be announced by Nov. 15.
“It’s either or. Silang dalawa ang magsasama-sama,” she said.
Marcos Jr., represents what is politically referred to as the Solid North, while the Dutertes have always represented Mindanao, or the South, with Davao historically solidly behind the Duterte family.
“Kasi kung sila-silang magkakampi ay maglalaban-laban, sayang po ang boto... So they will consolidate all their votes,” Mawis said in her analysis during the interview.
Dean Mawis said that one of the administration party candidates who had already filed their certificates of candidacy would most likely slide down come Nov. 15.
Consolidating pro-Duterte and pro-Marcos votes would be a formidable happening in Philippine politics for the next elections, especially in the present landscapte of a multi-party system in the country.
“In a multi-party system, mahahati po ang boto. It’s a numbers game,” Dean Mawis said.
President Duterte had made pronouncements that it would be a “Sara-Go” tandem, but that was in the first week of filing of candidacy for national and local elections last October.
But Mayor Sara had proven she had a mind of her own, and would not necessarily follow what her father, President Duterte wants.
She had made a previous statement on Aug. 25, 2021 in her Facebook post, resenting plans that pressed her to run for the presidency.
“I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason for them running or not running,” she said then.
“I am not a ‘Last Two Minutes’ person. I think, I organize and implement accordingly,” she said stressing she has a mind of her own.
Her move on Oct. 23, 2021 meeting with Bongbong Marcos in Cebu province, was done on her own, apparently, observers noted.
On Nov. 9, when she made the move to withdraw from her mayoralty bid in Davao City. Senator Go said there would be changes in his vice-presidential bid after his talk with President Duterte. Go said he loves the President whom he regards as a father and would follow his decision, even if he had put his heart already in his campaign for the vice-presidential bid
It’s a “one-plus-one” thing, said Dean Mawis, reading between the lines, which is why she thinks it could be a Bongbong Marcos-Sara Duterte team-up come 2022 polls.
Dennis Coronacion, chairperson of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) political science department, said that these surprise moves by the Dutertes give them the advantage of keeping their political opponents guessing and unprepared on what next to do to counter their moves.
Sara Duterte had been a frontrunner in surveys for the presidency.
Coronacion said that the opposition would have to prepare if there would be a “BBM-Sara” or a “Sara-BBM” political tandem. Either way, a Marcos-Duterte team up would give a big headache for the opposition groups, he said.
Mayor Sara Duterte, who has long been pressed to run for a national post, had COVID-19 on the day of the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy for national and local elections last Oct. 8. Her office announced that she was positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 10.
But she filed her candidacy seeking reelection in Davao City on Oct. 2, 2021, the same day that her father accompanied Sen. Bong Go to file his certificate of candidacy as vice-presidential bet of PDP-Laban.
Before this, both President Duterte and his daughter Sara stressed that “only one Duterte” would run for a national post in next year’s elections.
(Eagle News Service)
