DAVAO CITY (UPDATED) - Sen. Koko Pimentel III on Monday said he is thankful that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio allowed him to campaign with her regional party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), after a copy of a sample ballot showing he was not on the list of 12 senatorial candidates surfaced online.

Pimentel said this after a sample ballot showing all HNP senatorial bets except Pimentel surfaced online, although its origin hadn't been traced as of posting.

“In spite of this development, I still want to thank HNP and Mayor Inday Sara Duterte for allowing me to campaign with them for the entire 90 days. God bless us all,” Pimentel, president of the ruling party PDP-Laban, said in a tweet.

In spite of this development, I still want to thank HNP and Mayor Inday Sara Duterte for allowing me to campaign with them for the entire 90 days. God bless us all. pic.twitter.com/mviKip5MQH — Senator Koko Pimentel (@SenKokoPimentel) May 13, 2019

PDP-Laban campaign spokesman Ronwald Munsayac also echoed Pimentel's thoughts about the latest development.

"Maraming salamat pa rin po kay Mayor Sara and the HNP for letting my boss @SenKokoPimentel campaign with them.. Good luck and God bless us all!" Munsayac said on Twitter.

HNP has 13 senatorial candidates, one more than the 12 seats being contested in the upper house of Congress.

ABS-CBN News has sought clarification from HNP chair Duterte-Carpio, but she has yet to reply as of writing.

There were reports that sample ballots from various districts in Davao City also exclude Pimentel’s name.

During the campaign, cracks developed among allies of President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter.

Pimentel and another Duterte ally, Davao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo, had been at odds with each other after the latter was expelled from the party for supposedly violating its rules.

Floirendo's expulsion from the party was supposedly made upon the suggestion of his former ally but now fierce rival in the province, Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez of PDP-Laban.

Duterte-Carpio also had a rift with Alvarez for calling her a part of the opposition when she formed a separate regional political party. She is widely regarded as the one who orchestrated Alvarez’s ouster as Speaker.