Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio answers questions from reporters after filing her certificate of candidacy on Oct. 15, 2018. MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/ 15 Oct) – Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) seeking reelection in next year’s midterm polls but has remained undecided who her running mate would be.
But in an interview after filing her COC at the Commission on Elections-Davao at around 4p.m. on Monday, the mayor admitted her younger brother Sebastian “Baste” Duterte is one of her two choices for vice mayor.
She did not reveal the identity of the other prospective candidate saying it might put him in a difficult situation whatever her final decision would be.
Carpio said she talked to another candidate after her younger brother declined to be her running mate when she asked him about joining politics.
Her brother, however, changed his mind two days after and expressed interest in running for vice mayor, she said.
She said she advised his brother to consult their father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, on his decision to run.
She said the two have yet to talk as the President was scheduled to be in Davao on Monday evening.
Carpio’s bid for reelection as city mayor ended speculations she would run for the Senate.
She said she already made an irrevocable decision to seek reelection and turned down offers to run for senator.
“Definitely, I said from Day 1 that I will not run for senator,” she said.
Meanwhile, City Councilor Melchor Jay Quitain Jr., spokesperson of the “Hugpong Alliance” of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) and Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL), said in a press conference at noon Monday at the Grand Men Seng Hotel here that the mayor had announced their candidates for representatives and city council.
HTL is the local party of the President, who ran under the PDP-Laban in 2016.
The candidates of Hugpong Alliance for representatives are resigned vice mayor Paolo Z. Duterte for District 1, Vincent J. Garcia for District 2, and Isidro Ungab for District 3.
The former vice mayor filed his COC last Friday and the two others on Monday.
For the city council, the alliance fielded nine candidates for District 1, 16 candidates for District 2, and 10 candidates for District 3. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
