Members of the progressive groups here stage protests in downtown Cebu City questioning the unofficial 2022 elections tally results. | via Pegeen Maisie Sararaña
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Progressive groups staged a protest rally in Cebu City today, May 13, questioning again the unofficial election tally results wherein the Marcos-Duterte tandem had been leading the count.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said they monitored an estimated 50 to 60 individuals, who joined the rally.
These individuals, who were members of progressive groups such as the Anakpawis, BAYAN, and Kabataan, held the protest-rally five days after the May 9 elections.
The protesters called out alleged anomalies and alleged irregularities of the Commission on Elections in the conduct of this year’s national and local elections.
They also aired their concerns about martial law and their opposition to the Marcos-Duterte alliance.
“Never again to Martial law,” they said during their rally.
Their protests started at past 3 p.m. in Plaza Independencia and the protesters walked and stopped outside the Comelec Cebu City Office building for a few minutes, then they head on to Colon Street in downtown Cebu City, where they made another stop and after a few minutes, they continued on to their last stop at the front of the Capitol building where the Comelec Cebu Provincial Office is located nearby.
The rally lasted for three hours.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Parilla said that they only monitored the protesters as they were ordered to observe “maximum tolerance” on handling rallies and to allow these individuals to air their concerns.
He also said that the protest rally was also peaceful.
Parilla also said that he was not anticipating more protest rallies to be held in the coming days in Cebu City after this one.
He, however, did not elaborate on this.
Parilla said that CCPO’s personnel from various police stations were monitoring the entire activity when they would pass by their areas of jurisdiction.
Last May 10, these groups also staged a protest rally in front of the Provincial Capitol raising the same concerns.
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