Davide, Radaza, Dino head Cebu delegation

Tomas, Luigi not sure; militant groups to stage simultaneous rallies

Local government officials led by Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III will attend President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) to be delivered to a joint session of Congress on Monday, July 23.

Davide, along with Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza and Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Sec. Michael Dino, will banner the Cebuano delegation to President Duterte’s third Sona since he assumed the country’s highest position in 2016.

However, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing have yet to confirm their attendance and remained mum on their plans.

Osmeña said he expects President Duterte to talk and renew his vow to eradicate illegal drugs from all nooks and corners of the archipelago.
He, however, said he is supportive of the President’s stand against illegal drugs and criminality.

When asked to rate the President’s performance in the past 12 months, Osmeña just answered “Okay ra.”

Protests set

Meanwhile, militant groups in Cebu will hold simultaneous protest rallies on the same day of the President’s Sona.

Anakbayan Youth–Cebu Chairperson Joisa Cesista said they will reiterate their call on the administration to review the President’s “anti-poor” policies.

“Since United People’s Sona man ni, we will register our opposition sa anti-poor and anti-people policies and plans of the Duterte regime,” Cesista said.

She added that they will also express their grievances against pressing issues, such as the arrest of Myles Albasin and five others in Mabinay, Negros Oriental; Charter Change; and the bloody war on drugs, among others.

Moreover, Cesista is hoping that President Duterte will not forget to mention his administration’s errant economic policies which caused the country’s economy to dwindle, bringing harder times to the Filipinos most especially to the members of the marginalized sector.

“Since he has done nothing but to aggravate the Filipino people/s predicaments, we are expecting him to highlight his anti-poor and fascist achievements. No amount of glittery words can conceal the truth that our country’s situation is in its worst under his regime,” she said.
People are fed-up of his demagoguery, she added.

The protest march will start at 8 a.m. on Monday from the Capitol all the way to Metro Colon where a short program will be held.

Other youth members from peasant and fisherfolk sectors will also join the protest from other rallying points such as Toledo City and Bantayan Island on Monday.