Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio took her oath as member of Lakas-CMD on Nov. 11, 2021. Photo courtesy of the office of Lakas-CMD President Martin Romualdez.

Two-days after cancelling her certificate of candidacy (COC) for re-election as Davao City Mayor, Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday took her oath as member of Lakas-CMD.

Mayor Duterte also quit a member of her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a move that would allow her to become a substitute candidate for any of the party’s in the coming national and local 2022 election.

“The officials and members of Lakas-CMD are elated to welcome Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as new member of our party,” Leyte 1st Dist. Rep. Martin Romualdez, the party’s president, said in a statement.

“We had long been inviting Mayor Inday to join our party as we are all impressed with her sterling qualities as a leader and we saw up close her exemplary work ethic as chief executive of Davao City,” he added.

Romualdez administered the oath to Duterte-Carpio at the Revilla Farm in Silang, Cavite at 6 p.m.. Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr., Lakas-CMD chairman, witnessed the oath-taking.

Prior to this, Duterte-Carpio is affiliated with Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), a regional party she founded in 2018.

Duterte-Carpio withdrew her candidacy for a reelection bid as Davao City mayor Tuesday, barely a week before the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) deadline to substitute for an official candidate of a political party or coalition who withdrew.

This sparked speculation that she would run for a national post, despite her previous pronouncements on the contrary.

To recall, President Rodrigo Duterte, Duterte-Carpio’s father, aslo made a late entry in the 2016 presidential race as a substitute candidate.

On October 8, the last day for filing of certificates for candidacy (COCs), Anna Capella Velasco filed a COC for president under Lakas-CMD, while Lyle Fernando Uy filed for vice president under the same party.

Last month, Lakas-CMD admitted Velasco and Uy are merely “placeholders” until November 15.

House Deputy Speaker and Lakas-CMD secretary general Prospero Pichay Jr. revealed they are eyeing Dutere-Carpio as their standard bearer.

Duterte-Carpio is known to enjoy close ties with Arroyo, Lakas-CMD’s president emeritus, and was said to be instrumental in the former president’s ascent as House Speaker in 2018.