THIS is the third time that the Maisug Peaceful Rally has been canceled.
It was first prevented in Malolos City then in Bustos, Bulacan.
And just this weekend, the Maisug Rally in Tacloban City, Leyte was also canceled.
Tacloban City is the bailiwick of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Aside from the bad weather caused by Typhoon Aghon, the Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Plaza, which was supposed to be the venue of the rally, was flooded with trucks.
So how could the rally still push through now?
Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte apologized to everyone who was inconvenienced and disappointed by the incident.
It cannot be denied that many wanted to join the said peaceful rally.
Despite this suppression of freedom of expression, the former president insisted that he will not stop criticizing the wrongdoings of the administration.
“I will continue to speak even if my own life is at stake. I do not like the way oppressed Filipinos are being treated now. They are oppressed and have no one to turn to,” according to Rodrigo Roa Duterte – Former Philippine President.
Duterte added that he will not allow the economic situation to worsen, and peace and order in the country to be destroyed and be dragged into a war for the interest of foreigners.
“If only I would be the only one who will be made to suffer, I would not hesitate to stop getting the message across to the people of Tacloban, and the rest of the country. All of you know that is not the case. Among other things, the economy will worsen, the peace and order situation will further deteriorate, and a war that does not concern us will break out anytime,” added Duterte.
He also clarified that the point of his actions is not for personal interest but for the welfare of every Filipino citizen.
“At the end of the day, it is not for my own benefit, but for every Filipino citizen,” Duterte stated.
The suppression being done by the current administration on the Maisug Rally is a sad day for Philippine democracy but he said it is also a challenge for us to prove that the country deserves it and the rights that come with it.
“It is a sad day for Philippine democracy. On second thought, this is a challenge for us to prove that we deserve democracy and the rights that come with it,” Duterte said.
In the end, former President Duterte said that in his more than two decades of service to the people, he has never prevented the conduct of rallies which he says is a way of expressing the sentiments and grievances of the public to the government.
