ILOILO – Social media exploded with claims that scholars of the city government of Passi were being required to participate in today’s caravan for presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and running mate Sara Duterte.
Not true, according to Mayor Stephen Palmares and Vice Mayor Jesry Palmares. Attendance is not mandatory, they stressed.
Supporters of Marcos and Duterte will hold a caravan from Barangay Taft North, Mandurriao, Iloilo City going to Jaro district to Bangga Mauring in Leganes town, where supporters from other towns will gather and go straight to Zarraga, Pototan, Dingle, Dueñas, and Passi City.
One social media, an alleged instruction to Passi City’s college and senior high school scholars read in part: “Our City Mayor would like to involve you all to welcome his guests from other regions and province diya sa aton syudad…We will stay on the street…RED TSHIRT ang i-wear ninyo sa Saturday.”
The supposed instruction further warned the scholars not to bash the city mayor: “GINATAMAY na si Mayor sa social media. Indi na kamo magdugang pa. Kun indi kamo gusto, JUST RESPECT OUR MAYOR ANG VICE MAYOR nga indi mag comment below the belt sa social media…Remember, ang SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM ay sila ang ga decide kun padayunon or indi.”
In an interview with Panay News, Mayor Palmares denied this, saying the caravan is voluntary. He denied having instructed someone to disseminate such a message.
“Ginplano ang caravan nga daya voluntary sa tanan nga may gusto lang kay BBM kag Sara. Kita naman sa syudad nagpili man sang aton nahamot-an kay demokrasya man daya. Nagdesider kita, imaw kami ka mga lideres naton giya nga ang suporta naton i-tao naton kay BBM,” said Mayor Palmares.
For his part, Vice Mayor Palmares said over 1,000 private vehicles and motorcycles would be joining the caravan.
The vice mayor serves as the provincial chairman of Lakas–CMD (Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats), of which Duterte is the chairman.
He confirmed Marcos and Duterte would not be in attendance in today’s caravan./PN
