DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 Sept) — One hundred cows will be slaughtered as “an offering to the heavens” during a prayer rally dubbed “Pray for the Philippines” organized by supporters of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte at Rizal Park here on Sept. 21.
According to a post on Wednesday by Inday Sara Duterte, a verified account of Vice President Sara Duterte, the Dabawenyos “will make an offering to the heavens with the slaughter of a hundred cattle for the cleansing of the country’s spirit, and to pray for divine intervention to turn the Philippines into a secured and prosperous nation, where all Filipinos live in comfort and peace.”
It added that the prayers will be offered for the return of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte to Davao City after six months of detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands.
“Matapok kita, mag-ampo, mag piyesta sa isa ka gatos nga lechon baka (Let’s gather, pray, and feast on a hundred roasted cows),” the post reads.
In a statement on March 12, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I found reasonable grounds to believe that the former President, jointly with and through other persons, agreed “to kill individuals they identified as suspected criminals or persons having criminal propensities, including but not limited to drug offenders, initially in Davao and subsequently throughout the country.”
The Chamber found that there was an attack directed against a civilian population under an organizational policy while Duterte was the head of the Davao Death Squad (DDS), and under a state policy while he was the President of the Philippines.
The ICC set the confirmation of charges hearing for Sept. 23 this year, but announced last Sept. 8 that it had postponed the commencement of the confirmation hearing following the request from Duterte’s legal team for an indefinite adjournment of the proceedings, alleging that he is “not fit to stand trial.”
“The Chamber will, if applicable, set a specific date once it has addressed such outstanding matters,” it added.
Based on the ordinance passed by the City Council of Davao on Tuesday, temporary road closures will be enforced in some parts of the city’s central business district, as supporters of the Duterte family are expected to converge for the prayer rally from 1 p.m. on Sunday until 1 a.m. on Monday.
Closures will be implemented from the corner of C.M. Recto to San Pedro Street, the corner of Bolton to Rizal Street, and the corner of Rizal Street to Ponciano Street, where the rally will take place.
The “Pray for the Philippines” rally is a public gathering “envisioned to celebrate unity, gratitude, and the collective pursuit of social justice, and to pray for divine intervention for a peaceful and prosperous Philippines,” according to the ordinance.
During the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, Capt. Hazel Caballero Tuazon, spokesperson for the Davao City Police Office, said that 292 police personnel would be deployed to secure the event.
She said that bladed weapons and backpacks are prohibited in the venue.
Progressive groups will also stage rallies on the same day in other parts of the country to protest the massive corruption in government and to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the martial law declaration by the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
