Thousands of supporters of Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte will gather at the Burnham Green of Rizal Park (Luneta) on Sept. 26 to launch what organizers have dubbed as the “Call for the Filipino People’s President.”
Leaders of private organisations, taxi drivers, jeepney drivers, non-government organisations and private individuals who have committed to support Duterte are expected in the “People’s Rally” to start at 2 p.m.
Elsewhere in the country, people, who could not be physically present during the “People’s Call” because of the distance and lack of resources, will be asked to tie red, blue, white and yellow ribbons in their jeepneys, taxis, trucks, cars and homes to signify their support for Duterte, former South Cotabato Governor Mike Sueño, co-chair of the organising group MRRD-NECC, said.
“Duterte supporters in the regions and provinces are also exhorted to hold their own gatherings and celebrate the start of the change that we all have been dreaming of,” the former governor said.
Overseas Filipino workers and those living outside the country are encouraged to get together and display the national colors to show their commitment to the crusade to lead a major change in the country under a Duterte Presidency, Sueño said.
“Take pictures of your gatherings, document your activities through video recordings and post these in the social media so that people will realise that the call for Duterte to lead this country is genuinely a people’s initiative,” he said.
MRRD-NECC, the major organization which has been pushing for the Duterte Presidency and which has been behind the successful staging of the Federalism advocacy forums all over the country, is composed of volunteers from various sectors of society.
Sueño, a Christian leader from Mindanao who co-chairs MRRD-NECC with Muslim leader Gene Mamondiong, said the staging of the “Call for a Filipino People’s President” will be almost simultaneous with the issuance by PDP Laban of the Certificate of People’s Nomination.
PDP Laban head Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III earlier said that he would like the Filipino people to nominate their own choice for the Presidency.
“The Filipino people should convince him and endorse him. I believe he would yield to the will of the people,” Pimentel said in a media statement earlier issued by PDP Laban.
“No Presidential candidate in the history of this country, except perhaps President Cory Aquino who was swept to the Presidency by People Power, could claim that they were urged by the ordinary people to be their President,” Pimentel said.
Duterte, who has repeatedly said he is not interested in running for the Presidency, is not expected to attend the “Call for Filipino People’s President.”
Sueño, however, said he believes Duterte will be watching and listening.
“We will not stop until he stands up and leads the Filipino people,” he said.