THE spokesman of Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) on Thursday appealed to all supporters of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to trust and give her enough time to decide on her possible presidential bid, stressing presidency is very tough job.

Former Davao del Norte Gov. Antonio del Rosario, HNP secretary general and spokesman, said Mayor Sara knows and understands that running for president is something that should never be taken lightly, especially with the presidential daughter’s “strong commitment to effective governance.”

“HNP respects and firmly stands by Mayor Sara’s decision to carefully study and analyze her plans for the 2022 elections. We urge all supporters to likewise respect her process. Rest assured that whatever her final decision may be, the welfare of our kababayans will be of her utmost concern,” del Rosario said after Mayor Sara bared the instruction of her father to support the Go-Duterte tandem or get Sen. Bong Go as her running mate in case she decides to run for the country’s top post.

Del Rosario also stressed that Mayor Sara, HNP chairperson, will make her political decision for 2022 free of any influence or interest by other people and political parties.

“Notwithstanding her unconditional love for her father, our chairperson, Mayor Sara, reiterated once again to HNP that she will make her own decision on the matter of her run for the presidency at her own time. She likewise informed HNP that her decision on the matter will be her own, and will never be based on what other people or other political parties want, do or say,” del Rosario pointed out.

He also expressed HNP’s great respect to President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s wished for Mayor Sara to support the Go-Duterte tandem or pick the senator as her running mate.

“The Hugpong ng Pagbabago would like to convey its deep and abiding respect to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for recently expressing his wishes that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte either endorse the tandem of Senator Bong Go and the President, or take in Senator Go as her vice president, should she decide to run for the highest post in the land in the 2022 national elections,” del Rosario said.

Del Rosario also asked the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) not to drag Mayor Sara to its ongoing internal conflict, adding the latter will not join any national political party.

“Since Mayor Sara and HNP have no affiliation or involvement with PDP, we would therefore appreciate it if PDP refrain from involving our chairperson in their future plans. She has already said in numerous occasions that she will remain to be a member of HNP and thus, has no plans of joining another party,” he said.

On Wednesday, Mayor Sara said “I strongly suggest to the President and Senator Go own up publicly their decision to run as a tandem.”

“If they can confirm it privately, then I do not see the reason why they cannot be candid about it to the public,” Mayor Sara said. “I respectfully advise them to stop talking about me and make me the reason for them running or not running.”

Mayor Sara hit Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel and Ronwald Munsayac for blaming her in the ongoing rift inside the PDP-Laban.

“Senator Pimentel and Mr. Ronwald Munsayac should stop blaming me for the sad state of their political party. It is not my fault that no one among you is a leader worthy of the respect of the majority,” Sara said.

“Do not blame me for the sitcom that your party has been reduced to,” she added.

“I am not a ‘Last Two Minutes’ person. I think, I organize, and I implement accordingly. In the meantime, I refuse to be a political punching bag for a party in complete disarray,” she ended.