CEBU, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte once again took swings at his successor President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stating at a rally held in Mandaue City, Cebu, on Saturday, February 22, that Marcos is “veering towards dictatorship.”
“Mupusta ko sa inyo, dili na munaog pagkahuman sa iyahang termino. Pareha na sa iyang tatay. Magkagubat na pud ta because ang iyahang buhaton mudeclare na pud martial law,” the Duterte dynasty patriarch said.
(I bet you, that man is not going to step down at the end of his term. He’s just like his father. We’re gonna have problems because what he’s going to do is declare martial law.)
On September 21, 1972, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. placed the country under martial law through Presidential Proclamation No. 1081.
Similarly, Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao amid the attack of Maute Group members in Marawi City on May 23, 2017, highlighting that his martial law would be no different from the one that the late dictator declared in 1972 — Duterte’s martial law was lifted in 2020.
Not a campaign rally
The rally was organized by members of the Hakbang ng Maisug, consisting of pro-Duterte vloggers and supporters of the patriarch and his kin, especially Vice President Sara Duterte.
According to organizers the Mandaue rally was an “indignation” rally and not a campaign rally, meant only to decry the vice president’s impeachment as well as denounce corruption, oppression, criminality and illegal drugs.
Despite this, local bets received the endorsement of Duterte who campaigned and asked the supporters to vote for the chosen candidates.
Although premature campaigning, which refers to any promotional activity by a political candidate before the official campaign period, is an election offense that can result in disqualification under Section 80 of the election code, a 2009 Supreme Court ruling determined that an aspirant is only considered a candidate once the campaign period begins.
Hence, any promotional activities they engage in before the official campaign period are not considered premature campaigning and are not an offense.
Some of the well-known politicians who were in attendance include dismissed Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, dismissed Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, gubernatorial aspirant Pamela Baricuatro, and Lapu-Lapu City mayoral aspirant Paz Radaza.
Despite invitations sent to the vice president and her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, the two Dutertes were not present during the Saturday event.
During the indignation rally, senatorial bets of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan, Duterte’s political party, claimed that the problem of “ illegal drugs” has returned and called out the P20/kilo rice campaign promise of the president that has yet to be fulfilled.
Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ former-executive-secretary-turned-critic, said that they would fight to bring back the death penalty for public officials involved in robbery cases and the illegal drug trade.
Kill them all
At the rally, supporters chanted, “Patayin sila, bitayin mga buaya (Kill them, hang the crocodiles).”
In his speech, Duterte repeated his age-old philosophy to only kill “drug addicts” and kingpins, especially after giving them the chance to change their ways.
“Naay raid sa Davao, naay footage, giraid nako. Unom ka druglords. Hurot gyud sila, gipanitan gyud nako,”
(There was a raid in Davao, there was footage, I raided. Six drug lords. Finished them all, skinned them alive)
Red-tagging congress
Carlo Catiil, a minister of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) who represented Duterte senatorial bet and doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, said during the rally that among the platforms of Quiboloy is the elimination of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
“Total elimination of the CPP-NPA-NDF nga naghari-hari na karon sa kongreso. Laliman ka ana? CPP-NPA-NDF sa kongreso, naghahari na sila. Tapuson na sila tanan,” Catiil said in a speech.
(Total elimination of the CPP-NPA-NDF that is now ruling in Congress. Can you believe that?. CPP-NPA-NDF in congress, they are ruling there. Kill them all)
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that Comelec Resolution No. 11116, promulgated on Wednesday, February 19, includes “labeling” — the act of categorizing, classifying, branding, associating, naming, and accusing individuals or groups as “local dissenters,” subversive group sympathizers or terrorists, or belonging to a criminal group or syndicate without evidence.
The resolution carries the guidelines for fair campaigning and measures against discriminatory acts during the upcoming May election.
It’s worth noting that in May 2024, the Supreme Court legally defined red-tagging as a threat to an individual’s life. – Rappler.com