Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. CDN Digital File Photo | Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has confirmed that he would attend the prayer rally set on the day of People Power Anniversary on Sunday.
The event, led by pro-Duterte groups, will be staged at the Kasadya area in the South Road Properties (SRP).
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Rama motivated to attend event
Rama confirmed his attendance during the Central Visayas Public Financial Management Competency Program on Wednesday in a hotel in Mandaue City, which was also attended by Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman.
According to the city’s public information office (PIO), the assurance the prayer rally’s organizers gave had motivated Rama to attend the event.
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TAPS
Earlier, representatives of the Cebu Coalition for Transparency, Accountability, Peace, and Security (TAPS), the event’s organizer, said that the gathering on Sunday would not be against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Instead, it will be a “pro transparency, accountability, peace, and security rally,” said Lawyer Irene Anne Caballes, lead convener.
“Lipay na man ko kay giklaro na man nila (organizers) (I am happy because they made it clear). They can expect me to be there,” Rama said on Wednesday as quoted by the PIO.
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What to expect on Sunday
Meanwhile, former President Rodrigo Duterte is also invited to attend the event along with his son and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte, among others.
The organizers are expecting more or less 30,000 people to participate in the prayer rally. They will also prepare 30,000 to 50,000 packed meals and water to make sure that the attendees won’t be left hungry.
In January this year, a prayer rally was also held in Davao City to oppose the signature drive for Charter Change.
The conveners of the prayer rally said that they would also touch on the issue in their gathering at the SRP.
Velez said she believed that the people’s initiative was a “government’s initiative,” thus the need to demand for “transparency.”
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