The People's Reform Party founded by the late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago is giving its full support to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio if she decides to run for president in the 2022 elections, the party head said on Wednesday.
The party will also renew its alliance with Duterte-Carpio's Hugpong ng Pagbabago for the upcoming elections, said PRP president Atty. Narciso Santiago Jr., the husband of the late senator.
"As party president, I want to state that we in the People's Reform Party believe that Mayor Sara Duterte can continue the advocacies and principles of former Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago," he said.
"Me and the other ranking officials of each party further hope that Mayor Sara Duterte will heed the strong clamor from the people for her to run for the highest post in the land," he added.
The PRP is one of five national parties seeking an alliance with Duterte-Carpio's party for the 2022 elections, Hugpong spokesperson Anthony Del Rosario said. It previously aligned with the regional party for the 2019 polls.
Santiago said the PRP and Hugpong share a common program of government which focuses on reforms, discipline, leadership and fighting corruption in the government. The two parties, however, have yet to formalize their alliance.
"In principle, we have agreed to form an alliance kaya lang pinag-uusapan pa, wala pang definite na agreement na napirmahan ng bawat grupo," Santiago said.
If Duterte-Carpio decides not to run for president, Santiago said the PRP is open to anyone who wants to run under the party.
Duterte-Carpio, who chairs Hugpong, has yet to decide about running for president, although pre-election surveys have tipped her as among the frontrunners.
Apart from PRP, the other parties which seek an alliance with Hugpong are the Lakas-CMD party, the National Unity Party, the Nacionalista Party, and the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino Party.