MANY of us were expecting that by Monday the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod-Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HTL-HNP Alliance) will be announcing as to who Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio's running mate will be.
However, Monday came and during the press conference yesterday, HTL-HNP Alliance spokesperson J Melchor Quitain, Jr., still did not reveal as to who this mystery candidate is.
"Let's just keep it a surprise," Quitain said, adding that we will just wait for the mayor to make the announcement. But if there will be no announcement, we will just wait for the person to show up at Magsaysay Park and file his or her certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Comelec on or before the October 17 deadline.
As for the names, Quitain evaded the question by simply saying that these were names that were floated on social media.
The election season in Davao City has been shrouded in mystery since the filing of COCs last week.
The mayor has remained silent or evaded questions as to who will be her running mate. However, in an earlier interview she said they have decided since March as to who will be running as vice mayor in the upcoming elections.
Catalunan Grande barangay captain January Duterte, the wife of Paolo Z. Duterte, has not made any announcements on her political plans. Will she continue the legacy of the Dutertes by seeking a higher political position or will she end her political career as barangay captain?
There is also talk within the grapevine that Sebastian "Baste" Duterte might be the mystery candidate for vice mayor. However, that remains unclear too. Duterte-Carpio did mention that her younger brother already made a decision but she did not disclose what that decision is.
Meanwhile, Davao City Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag made a statement yesterday that he will no longer run for any elective position, which to us seemed odd. His political career looked promising but sadly it had to end this time. Probably we might see more of him in the future?
Exciting as it may seem, the recent developments in the political scene of the city remains to be shrouded in mystery.
Dabwenyos are definitely in for a surprise once the last two days of the filing of COC comes.