DAVAO City candidates were sternly warned against paying the New People’s Army’s (NPA) permit-to-campaign extortion scheme.
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reminded candidates running under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HNP-HTL) alliance that they will be removed from the slate if they will be found guilty in giving in to the demands of the NPA.
"Aduna man gu'y reports na nakaabot sa amoa na naay mga nangayo sa ato’ng candidates og bugas, kwarta para daw magsuporta daw sa katawhan ug sa kalihukan sa NPA (We received reports that there are some NPA members who are asking for rice and money, intended for the support to the community and to the movements of the group)," Duterte-Carpio said during the Thanksgiving Lunch at the People's Park Monday, May 6.
She said paying the NPA is tantamount to bowing down to them and subscribing to their destructive ideology, thus it makes the candidates NPA terrorists themselves.
"Di na namo sila dad-on sa amo sample ballot on election day, if ma-proven guilty sila (We will no longer include them on our sample ballot on election day, once proven guilty)," the mayor said.
She said, though, that her warning is only limited to the scope of the city.
"Junking (of candidates) will depend (who is) in-charge. Sa HNP, (ang) in-charge sa province are the governors, so they will decide on the matter on their candidates," the mayor said.
Duterte-Carpio is the HNP founding chairman, while her brother, Paolo Duterte, is the current president of HTL, a party founded by their father, now President Rodrigo Duterte.
Meanwhile, the lady mayor led the thanksgiving lunch, wherein more than 6,000 personnel in-charge in the series of events held in the city for the past two months (Araw ng Dabaw, Ironman, Holy Week, and the recently concluded Palarong Pambansa 2019) were lauded for their outstanding performance in ensuring safety and security.
She also thanked all Dabawenyos for their cooperation and patience on the strict measures implemented during those events.