THE Interior department said Sunday that no government funds were used in mobilizing support for a pro-Duterte rally and vigil at the Quirino Grandstand at the Rizal Park.
“There [were] no public funds used in staging this event,” Interior Undersecretary John Castriciones told the Manila Standard.
“This [was] purely an MRRD-NEC [Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee] initiative along with other private organizations.”
Castriciones made his statement even as Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo rejected a Philippine Daily Inquirer report saying tens of thousands of President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters who gathered at the Rizal Park were forced to attend the rally because their attendance was a prerequisite to the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
“If the implication is that the DSWD forced the beneficiaries of the 4Ps program to attend the rally in support of President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday [Saturday], we categorically deny it,” Taguiwalo said.
But Castriciones confirmed the reports on an Interior department memo asking local government officials to mobilize their constituents who were ‘willing to participate’ in the pro-Duterte events over the weekend.
Photos of government vehicles that were mobilized to escort the participants going to the Quirino Grandstand circulated over social media in the wake of the event.
The Interior official said the participation of local government units in the rally were likewise in support of the Interior department’s MASA MASID program, the barangay-based anti-criminality, anti-corruption and anti-illegal drugs drive at the community level.
He said there was no need to criticize the rally.
“Even if you read the memo of SILG [Ismael Sueno], you just have to extend support and nothing there was written that it [was] mandatory,” Castriciones said.
“If there [were] [funds used for the event], [those might have] come from the local chief executives in their own initiatives because they want[ed] to ride on to this activity.”
Tens of thousands gathered starting Saturday for the pro-Duterte rallies across the country while other groups held separate gatherings to mark the 31st anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution.
Castriciones said the number of supporters peaked at more than 900,000 around 11 p.m. while the police estimated the crowd at 215,000.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano were among those who joined the rally on the first day and delivered short speeches. With PNA