Davao City Mayor and presumed 2022 presidential candidate Sara Duterte took her oath as the newest member of Lakas-CMD hours after her official resignation from the regional party she founded in 2018.

In a statement to the media, Lakas-CMD president and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said Mayor Duterte took her oath late Thursday at the Revilla Farm in Silang, Cavite.

“The officials and members of Lakas-CMD are elated to welcome Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as new member of our party. 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,” Romualdez said. 

“We are more than honored that Mayor Sara chose LAKAS as her national party. We have worked with Mayor Sara in the past, and in fact continue to be allies in coalition with her former local party – Hugpong ng Pagbabago,” Lakas-CMD Chairman Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr. said in a statement.

“Mahaba na po ang kasaysayan ng LAKAS sa paglilingkod-bayan. Our Christian-Muslim-Democratic principles have guided our members in the past three decades, and we continue to build a proud legacy for the country,” he added.

(There has been a long history of LAKAS in terms of public service.)

Revilla continued: “All out ang LAKAS sa anumang tatahakin ni (to whatever) Mayor Sara and we will work to assure her success and triumph, which will also be the success and triumph of the party, of the nation, and of all Filipinos.”

Watch Mayor Duterte’s oath-taking below (posted by PTV Philippines).

WATCH: Oath taking of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as the newest member of LAKAS-CMD. (Video courtesy of Office of Majority Leader Romualdez) | via Daniel Manalastas pic.twitter.com/i7cHfLP8YT

— PTVph (@PTVph) November 11, 2021

While Mayor Duterte is yet to officially announce her candidacy, it can be recalled that her father and incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte also made a last-minute entry during the 2016 presidential race as a substitute candidate.

– WhatALife.ph

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Also Read: Davao Mayor Sara Duterte withdraws mayoral reelection bid