Slim chance for Duterte to join Independence Day celebration at Lapu-Lapu shrine — exec

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There is a slim chance that President Rodrigo Duterte will attend the National Commemoration of the Independence Day Celebration on June 12, in Lapu-Lapu City.

This is according to Dr. Rene Escalante, National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) chairman of the board.

“He has a Cabinet meeting on the 11th and normally, Cabinet meetings lasted for sometimes until dawn,” Escalante said in a press briefing on June 10.

Escalante said that if the President could not make it, a Cabinet secretary might be sent to represent him.

This year’s National Commemoration of the Independence Day Celebration will be held at the Liberty Shrine in Barangay Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City.

Read more: President Duterte expected in Lapu Independence Day celebration

“We want this on Lapu-Lapu City because this is already the preparation in the celebration of the 500th year (of Christianity in the Philippines),” he added.

Escalante said that three major events would be celebrated in the year 2021, which would include the victory of Datu Lapulapu in the battle of Mactan, the 500th year anniversary of the circumnavigation of the world, and the 5th centenarian of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines.

Aside from Lapu-Lapu, seven areas throughout the Philippines will simultaneously join the celebration, especially in raising the Philippine Flag.

He said that he came in Cebu earlier, to personally supervise the preparation for the activity.

“A stage has already been installed in the Shrine,” he said.

Meanwhile, Escalante said that NHCP had also proposed to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to create a new bill, which will feature the hero, Datu Lapulapu.

“We are proposing a new paper bill, wherein Lapulapu will be featured. We are proposing to revive the P2,000 bill,” Escalante added. /dbs

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