A PROPOSAL for the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a regional party, to become a national party-list organization has been presented, but the group has yet to discuss this.
During the HNP General Assembly at SMX Convention Center Thursday, January 24, proposed amendments to the group’s constitution and by-laws were presented. Among these was to shift from being a regional party-list to a national party-ist.
"Dili lang sa nato i-pasa ang amendments sa constitution and proposed amendments sa by-laws because, dili ko maka-remember na nag discuss mi sa officers na mag national party ta (We cannot pass the amendments for now because I cannot remember that we had a discussion with the officers about the move to become a national party)," HNP chairperson and Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio said in her speech.
However, she said they may tackle this in their next general assembly.
Duterte-Carpio said she is not in favor of HNP becoming a national party. If the HNP body will decide to become a national party, she will respect that decision.
"Gi-create man gud ang HNP for Davao Region tapos murag wala pa gani mi nagsugod suddenly mag shift na, mag focus namo nga national when ang sabot ato sa sugod with the governors is a create a very strong Region 11 (The HNP was created for Davao Region. We have just began and now we will suddenly shift our focus to becoming a national partylist from a regional? What was first agreed by the governors was to create a stronger Davao Region)" she told reporters.
Duterte-Carpio also said if there are other proposed amendments from the group, they can discuss it in the next general assembly. The next assembly will be held after the midterm elections in May.
Meanwhile, Duterte-Carpio said she urged the members to campaign for 12 candidates who are running for senator, namely, Christoper Lawrence "Bong" Go, Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, Zajid "Dong" Mangudadatu, Cynthia Villar, Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, Jinggoy Estrada, Pia Cayetano, Maria Imelda Josefa "Imee" Marcos, Francis Tolentino, Harry Roque, Sonny Angara and Jiggy Manicad.
She said HNP is hoping that seven or eight of these candidates will win.