Presidential Assistant to the Visayas, Michael Dino, holds a Pulihi na, Cebu t-shirt. | Zena V. Magto
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Presidential Assistant to the Visayas, Michael Dino, denied that there was any trickery to the audience of the Pulihi na, Cebu! free concert on May 1 and he said the audience actually enjoyed the concert.
Dino said that there was no intention to trick the audience to attending the event because the event was primarily a concert with the intention to awaken the youth of the “pressing issues” in Cebu City.
He said that none of the audience went home when they saw the Pulihi na Cebu! tarpaulins and stayed to enjoy the concert and listened to Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella who spoke for at least 2 minutes on stage.
Read more: Free concert turned campaign sortie?
“Lipay kaayo sigeg singgit ang mga tawo ato. Kung nangilad ba, four hours ang concert. Kung nangilad pa pag adto pa lang nila daan, nilakaw na unta sila,” said Dino.
(The people enjoyed shouting as they enjoyed the concert. If we did trick them, the concert was four hours. If we did trick them, they would have left the concert at the start when they thought that it was not a concert but a campaign sortie.)
Dino said that the numbers of the audience of the concert that stayed until the end, close to 20,000, shows that the people enjoyed the concert and there was no “trickery” in that.
The concert was held at the IC3 Pavillion, after it was not approved by the original venue at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF).
Shortly after the concert, Cebuano netizens took to social media to air their concerns that the free music concert apparently turned into a campaign sortie.
Read more: Pulihi na Cebu organizers deny political campaigning during free concert
The organizers, which was composed of businessmen and civil society organizations, said that no campaign was held at the concert as the event was aimed to discuss social issues.
Dino said that Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who posted on his facebook account that the concert was a scam, was not aware that the audience came and stayed in the concert without being forced.
“Katong nga rally (In the rally), the youth were very disciplined. They simply wanted to have fun,” said Dino.
Meanwhile, the Pulihi na, Cebu! will be placing placards in strategic locations in Cebu City including Ayala, SM City Cebu, Guadalupe (cor. V. Rama/Englis), Colon (Gaisano Metro), Kamputhaw (Escario/Gorordo), Lahug (JY), Banilad (Country Mall), Talamban (near Barangay Hall), Cebu City Hall, and Carbon Public Market.
“Placards will be shown in these locations to inform the people of Cebu City that Cebu needs to wake up,” said the organizers in as statement to the media.
The placards showing the logo of Pulihi na, Cebu! will be revealed on Saturday, May 4./dbs