DAVAO City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte said he invited his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, to attend the miting de avance of the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod-Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) on Friday, May 6, but his attendance has yet to be determined.
"Basig [he might come], pero with the President's schedule, dili gyud ta kaingon, pero he is invited. And I think nag-confirm naman gyud siya, but dili gihapon ko maka-assure kung muadto ba gyud kay (but with the President’s schedule, we cannot tell, but he is invited. And I think he confirmed already, but I cannot assure if we can come because) he is the President... He is busy," Sebastian said in an ambush interview right after the launching of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta) office in Davao City on Wednesday afternoon, May 4.
Sebastian's sister, Davao City Mayor and vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio, confirmed on Monday, May 2, that she will be attending two more political rallies in the city. These are the UniTeam rally in Tagum City and the HTL-HNP rally on Friday, May 6.
The President, in the 2019 senatorial miting de avance of the HTL-HNP event, was invited as guest of honor, but he did not show up.
Duterte-Carpio, announced on the last-minute that the President will no longer be joining the caravan.
Former presidential aide and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said the President needed to take some rest after having series of appointments the day before the rally.
The President, however, showed up the next day on the HTL-HNP miting de avance of Davao City councilors.
The President is the founder of the HTL, while Duterte-Carpio is the founder and chairperson of the regional party HNP.
As of Thursday, May 5, Duterte has only endorsed his daughter. He reiterated that he will remain neutral from endorsing any presidential candidate.