HOUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday said the announcement of the National Unity Party (NUP) to renew its alliance with regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) for the 2022 presidential polls will boost Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s chances if she decides to run for president.

Romualdez also welcomed the confirmation Tuesday of NUP Secretary General Reggie Velasco to join the soon to be formed alliance of political parties under the HNP leadership for next year’s elections after the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) decided on June 23, 2021 to renew its ties with Duterte’s regional party.

“The decision of the National Unity Party to renew its alliance with Hugpong ng Pagbabago of Mayor Sara Duterte is a welcome development. This will help boost further the electoral chances of whoever is chosen by HNP to be their candidate for President or Vice President in the 2022 national polls,” said Romualdez, president of Lakas-CMD.

HNP Secretary General and former Davao del Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario said four other major political parties will join the coalition after Lakas-CMD came out in the open last month to renew its alliance with the regional party.

“Our party, the Lakas-CMD, has already made the clarion call for other political parties to link arms and form a new coalition that will support Mayor Sara if ever she decides to run for President in the coming elections. With NUP on board, we believe the new coalition is fast taking shape and may turn into reality sooner than expected,” Romualdez said.

“We pray that other political parties also join us in this shared mission of helping elect national leaders who shall pursue the reforms needed to build a better future for the next generation,” added Romualdez.

On June 23, 2021, the Lakas-CMD’s Executive Committee authorized Romualdez to renew its alliance with HNP for next year’s polls.

Aside from NUP, Del Rosario also bared that the Nacionalista Party (NP), Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), and People’s Reform Party (PRP) will join the early bird Lakas-CMD in the coalition under HNP.

“Those are the five parties that have signified their interest to join this so-called coalition we’re building,” said Del Rosario who added that HNP will choose the presidential and vice presidential candidates under the soon to be renewed alliance.

“As for the moment, everything is on hold because there has to be a memorandum of agreement between and among all parties . Currently, each party is reviewing the document and we’re still trying to come up with an agreement that is acceptable to all parties,” del Rosario added.

On Monday, Romualdez said the Lakas-CMD will support the presidential and vice presidential candidates to be chosen by the HNP.

“The Lakas-CMD will extend its full and unqualified support not only to the presidential candidate to be selected by Mayor Sara Duterte’s HNP, but also to its chosen vice-presidential candidate,” Romualdez said in response to reporters’ query on the matter.

Romualdez, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) and president of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa), said “the party also decided to renew its alliance on issues of good governance, national unity, and continued reforms for economic recovery, including the sustained campaign to defeat the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic.”