Organizers: Cebuanos warm to Duterte as next president

CEBU, Philippines - Organizers of the Mayor Rudy Roa Duterte (MRRD) for 2016 President Movement have claimed warm reception in the cities and municipalities of Cebu during their caravan since Saturday that would end today.

The caravan is a nationwide activity dubbed as “Run Duterte Run” to urge the Davao City mayor to run for president in the elections next year.

“Very warm ang reception sa mga Cebuanos sa prospect nga modagan si Duterte…padaganon gyud kay the people needs him,” said lawyer Noel Felongco, MRRD for 2016 President Movement in Central Visayas regional head.

Felongco, also the PDP-Laban regional president, said the people need a strong leader to instill discipline, especially in the anti-crime and the anti-illegal drugs campaigns.

He said they wanted Duterte to run for president because of his support for federalism and his vision for the country’s progress through industrialization.

“Nakita nga, very clean and honest ang governance sa Davao City. Amazing ang response sa mga tawo,” Felongco said.

There are 46 vehicles divided into groups going around the northern and southern part of Cebu province for the caravan. The group paid courtesy calls to mayors and vice mayors and explained their activity.

Today, the group in the north will meet the relatives of Duterte in Danao City.

On August 28, a team from Cebu will go to Davao to attend the culminating activity of the caravan and show to Duterte the clamor of the people for him to run.

“By mid-September hopefully mo-declare na siya sa candidacy kay filing na sa October,” Felongco said.

In Manila, former Butuan City Representative Charito Plaza already announced that Duterte is definitely running for president in the May 2016 elections.

Plaza said Duterte’s supporters in Luzon and Metro Manila have started their simultaneous nationwide caravan and are set to pass the Visayas and Mindanao region via the nautical highway and end in Davao City on August 28. — (FREEMAN)