MANILA, Philippines – After apologizing for holding her political party’s event in the middle of heavy rains and flooding in Metro Manila, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio handed rain-hit Quezon City and Pampanga a check of P1 million each as assistance.

“Hiningan ko lahat ng naka-upo sa alyansa (I asked everyone in the alliance), Governor Pineda, and we came up with – this is suppsed to be P1 million para sa iyo (for you),” said Carpio on Monday, August 13.

That day, her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), formalized alliances with 3 national parties (Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, National Unity Party) and 6 local parties for the 2019 elections.

Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte here at Hugpong ng Pagbabago event led by Sara Duterte on day of heavy rains, flooding in Metro Manila. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/1EfGdzfwxw

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) August 13, 2018

Present at the event were Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda – local government officials of places hit by heavy rain and flooding over the weekend and on Monday.

Carpio admitted during her speech that her party’s event was ill-timed. She had wanted to cancel it since the night before but participants of the event said doing so would be a waste of the funds they already spent on travel and accommodations.

She thanked Belmonte and Pineda for still showing up despite the busy state of affairs of their local government units (LGUs).

“We all know na marami tayong kababayan na nalulubog sa baha ngayon (many of our fellow countrymen are suffering from floods) because of the [southwest monsoon] and two of those areas are with us today na kahit ‘yung mga kababayan nila nasa evacuation centers and ‘yung ibang areas nila nasa ilalim ng tubig, pero nandito pa rin sila (even if their constituents are in evacuation enters and some areas are still underwater, they are here),” said Carpio.

The President’s daughter says she had asked allies of HNP for P250,000 each for the flood-hit LGUs. The amount grew to P2 million which she was able to divide between Pampanga and Quezon City.

She asked these two LGUs to distribute the funds to officials in flooded areas, especially those running evacuation centers. – Rappler.com