Former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez played down his electoral victory against candidates backed by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and her local party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), saying that’s not how he interpreted his win.
“No, I don’t see it as victory against Hugpong. That’s not the issue,” he was quoted in an Inquirer report as saying.
Alvarez defeated HNP’s candidate, Gov. Anthony del Rosario, in the congressional race for Davao del Norte’s first district.
His bitter rival, Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., also an HNP candidate, faced an embarrassing loss as well to the PDP-Laban candidate.
Alvarez said his win demonstrated his excellent performance as congressman.
“You just have to serve well and the people will not abandon you. No amount of money can convince them to vote for the other candidates,” he said in the report.
