Sandy Mer shared this photo of the free concert at the IC3 Pavilion on Wednesday night, May 1, 2019.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuano netizens took to social media to air out concerns of an event that was originally advertised as a free music concert but apparently turned into a campaign sortie.
The free music concert featured Cebuano artists Juan Karlos Labajo, Karencitta and Janine Berdin, who rose to fame in the national and international scenes.
Announcements of free tickets made the rounds on social media with the venue of the concert initially set at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF), 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 1.
The free concert tickets did not beae any logos or names of the organizers or sponsors. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / Sandy Mer
However, USPF on Monday, April 29, announced on their Facebook page that no such concert or event was approved to be held on their grounds.
On the same day, entertainment website Mugstoria, announced on its Facebook page that the venue was moved to the IC3 Pavilion.
A certain Kentnoii Rafols publicly posted on his Facebook account that the concert was suspicious to begin with.
“I was Right the Whole Time! IT REALLY IS FISHY! It’s just another LAME Political campaign sortee! From Buwan Concert to Pulihi na Cebu Concert!” he wrote in his post.
He also posted pictures of campaign posters and tarpaulins bearing the words “Pulihi na Cebu” which were visible in the concert venue.
A picture of Karencitta along with Dino, Labella and another person was also shared.
In the photo, they can be seen doing the fist-pump pose, a signature gesture associated with President Rodrigo Duterte.
The post has reached almost 700 reactions and more than 600 shares.
The post was also shared by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, the standard bearer of Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).
“Youth were tricked tonight into going to a free concert only to find out it was Dino and Liebella’s free concert,” wrote Osmeña.
