Dumaguete City mayor denies blocking rally attended by Duterte | TeleRadyo Serbisyo
01:01.2
Yung Remolio po ay M-O-L-L-O.
01:05.5
Iba yung Remolio, now DOJ.
01:11.8
Talagang dinidistinguish ninyo eh.
01:14.6
We should differentiate.
01:15.8
Kasi Bisaya po eh, Remolio.
01:18.3
Ako, Remolio kasi Bisaya.
01:22.0
Salamat, salamat po.
01:22.8
Okay, okay, okay.
01:23.6
Just kidding, just kidding.
01:25.9
Ano po, Mayor, anong tawag dito?
01:29.2
Sino po ba ang nag-apply po ng permit para dito sa prayer rally?
01:33.0
Meron po ba silang binigay na indikasyon na si Pangulong Duterte pala ang pupunta?
01:37.9
Hindi ganito po yan.
01:39.5
Yung lugar namin sa Tumagedes, yung Pantawan,
01:45.1
ito ay public park na very fun, very conducive to...
01:52.0
to the activities, including prayer rallies.
01:57.5
We could say that twice a month, meron mga applications dyan for prayer rallies.
02:07.1
Different dyan, different denominations, different religions.
02:11.7
So, it is just, when yung nag-apply ng isang reverend or pastor, Ed Samson,
02:24.0
hindi niya inindicate na may mga bisita ng mga national officials and a former president at that.
02:32.2
It was given to him as a matter of course by our city administrator.
02:38.0
Now, let it be emphasized that yung...
02:42.4
kung magagrant kami ng...
02:46.4
A part of the procedure, no?
02:48.4
That before na magagrant yung isang permit,
02:52.0
to rally, specifically in that Pantawan, or it's a new...
02:57.7
about two hectare property...
03:00.4
…ließlich grilling park.
03:01.4
Dapat kukuha muna yung applicant ng clearance or endorsement
03:07.0
from our Traffic Management Office...
03:08.9
lichka OCS I like it.
03:14.5
sa police, sa GSO or government sa rohan.
03:16.4
A government office namin in charge of our facilities.
03:21.1
And including yung City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and our City Health Office.
03:31.6
So when this Reverend Pastor Ed Sampson applied, meron siyang endorsement sa police and sa traffic.
03:46.5
So nabigyan siya ng permit to rally on April 15. So it was fine until 4 days before the rally on May 7, meron ng ibang tao na sumulat sa chief of police na humihingi na siya ng PNP security
04:10.5
kasi yung may mga bisita na mga national officials, former.
04:16.5
Including President Duterte. Ang minensyon nila doon, first, President Duterte, Mayor Baste Duterte, si former Secretary Roque, former Secretary Vic Rodriguez and this attorney Glenn Chong.
04:34.3
So on that basis, yung chief of police namin on May 3 sa hapon, that's a Friday, sumulat sa akin, Mayor,
04:44.3
ito yung sitwasyon. Kailangan natin reinforcement or augmentation sa ating police dahil the magnitude perhaps of the participants or rally is, especially yung nature ng rally ngayon kasi hindi na talaga pre-rally ito.
05:10.7
Kasi knowing these personages.
05:14.3
It is now, it has been, the intention is a political rally.
05:20.2
Well, legitimate naman ang political rally but from day one, nung nag-apply ito si Reverend Samson,
05:29.2
Ito sa pre-rally.
05:30.5
Ano talaga, pre-rally. So dapat mag-inga tayo, especially na dito sa place na paggagawa ng rally,
05:40.2
every time, every time na mayroong activity.
05:44.3
Hindi lang rally, pre-rally, concerts. Meron talaga kaming coordination meeting with the city and provincial police, including the region kung dami yung participants.
05:56.2
In fact, of late, we hosted about 6,000 to 8,000 members of the Brotherhood of Masons in the same venue and it took us two months to get an augmentation sa police.
06:13.8
Hindi lang yun. It's not as simple as security but kami on our part, very thorough kami.
06:20.0
Una, maliban sa security, nag-insult kami ng mga portalettes, barricades just to protect the participants.
06:33.0
Barricades, first aid, ambulance, yung mga city disaster risk reduction management of the people, over-timing namin yan for free.
06:43.8
Hiningi na pera dyan.
06:44.6
So kinapos, in short, Mayor, kinapos kayo sa oras dahil masyado ng bitin yung oras na binigay para makapag-prepare kayo, kaya hindi nyo na lang pinatuloy.
06:54.3
Pero yung permit na unang in-issue, binawi nyo na lang. Ganun po ba?
06:58.8
Precisely. Because hindi lang yun. What is very alarming was that yung sabi ko sa city administrator ko,
07:10.7
could you please talk to that, yung unang tao?
07:13.8
Yung unang tao na nag-apply. Kasi si Ed Sampson, Reverend, ito naman ang sumulat sa police, ibang tao, si Ben Villac.
07:22.2
Sabi ko, what's the relation between Ben Villac ngayon and this Ed Sampson?
07:26.7
And what alarmed us is that Ben Sampson informed my city administrator na he is no longer part of the group that will sponsor the activity.
07:38.8
Ito, maafras siya.
07:39.9
He started to distance himself.
07:43.8
Really. I mean, and I spoke to the guy myself.
07:46.5
Sinabi niya, meron kami internal issues dito na kumalas kami sa grupo and I am no longer responsible.
07:55.5
So, ang importante nun, yung permit, nabigay namin kay Reverend Sampson.
08:01.6
So, sabi ko, first of all, sabi ko, as a lawyer, sabi ko, well, ikaw mismo magiging, well, fungus official in other words,
08:12.6
na useless na yung permit binigay ko sa'yo kasi umatras ka na dyan.
08:17.3
So, to be technical about it, kansilahin ko yung permit mo and then entertain this new guy.
08:24.5
Now, so this new guy, on Saturday, the following day, nag-text sila sa akin na, can we meet with your mayor?
08:31.4
So, Saturday, I obliged them.
08:34.5
Ibit na ko sila sa city hall and followed them.
08:37.7
Sinabi nila, pinakonfirm ko.
08:40.4
Is it true that this Reverend Sampson...
08:42.6
Sampson is no longer part of your group, kumalas na sa activity?
08:47.3
Tinanggal namin siya with two others.
08:51.7
What's important, what's vital in this kind of rallies, we want to know who is the focal person.
08:59.7
Communication, sino yung i-hold responsible namin, kung ano mangyari, kung gaano kalaki yung grupo nyo, ilang tao, etc.
09:12.4
Pasensya na po ah. Pero, you know how they're spinning this, right?
09:16.1
They're saying the decision was political on your part.
09:20.3
I know. I will answer that.
09:22.7
Go ahead. So, if it's not political, or tell us why it was not political.
09:30.2
Okay. The facts are very important. So, the facts are...
09:33.4
So, yung second group, sinabi ko, could you please, are you willing to apply a permit in your name?
09:42.4
Na. Sige, i-process natin.
09:45.1
Okay? Now, what can you say now? Sabi ko, what can you say now about your application for security reinforcement to secure the...
09:57.6
Sila ang nag-apply, the new group was the one who applied for, this guy, Ben Vivie, applied for police assistance.
10:05.8
Sabi ko, if you were the mayor, what will you do?
10:09.2
The police says, hindi namin...
10:11.4
Now, given the three days, four days before the event, kailangan pa namin na coordination meeting.
10:20.2
Itong mga ibang mga activities namin, the real prayer rally mismo, kailangan nag-co-coordination meeting kami.
10:28.0
Ito ngayon, politically charged na ito. But we're willing to accommodate you.
10:32.5
So, sabi ko, you choose. Are you willing to apply for in your names na ngayon? Kasi umatas na yung isa.
10:41.4
Ayaw nilang mag-apply. Kasi they will inherit daw, they will inherit daw the, ano, sabi ko, saan yung special power of attorney ninyo na itong granting namin ng permit, ipapasa namin sa inyo.
10:54.5
Okay, as a lawyer now, and also as a mayor. Sabi niya, hindi kami ha-apply. Kami dyan, kukunin namin yung permit na ibigay nyo doon sa isa.
11:05.5
Sabi ko, kaya rally yun eh. Itong sinasabi nyo, mas politically charged.
11:11.4
So, ang alawa, are you willing to make an undertaking that if anything happens, you are the ones responsible, ayaw din nila.
11:22.3
Okay, so, ano magagawa ko?
11:24.1
At sinabi ko na lang na okay, well, we are friends. May isa doon, dalawa doon na kilala ko. Sabi ko, okay, can we now, ang advice ko sa inyo, reset it.
11:37.8
Reset it and coordinate with the...
11:42.8
Yung iba-ibang agencies.
11:44.4
Ibang, our office.
11:46.1
So, you know, ito pang sinulat ko ata eh.
11:51.7
Okay, sinabi ko, that's the most prudent thing to do.
11:58.3
Hindi rin pumayag.
11:59.3
You inform already, you inform your visitors para hindi kayo mapahiyang.
12:03.4
And then, hindi tayo ma-embarass.
12:05.1
And I know most of their guests, kaibigan Korean sila. Nakakahiya.
12:11.9
Now, because of internal squabble, madadamay kami dito na they might think that they are not welcome.
12:18.2
Yeah, they are welcome. All right?
12:20.7
But the point is, hindi kami prepared on Tuesday.
12:25.4
Kasi sabi doon, nabimiting pa...
12:28.3
Natuloy po ba, ginawa din yung rally pero sa ibang lugar na lang po?
12:32.7
Yes, ganito yung nangyari. So, ganito.
12:36.6
So, sinabi nila, maghanap na lang kami sa ibang lugar.
12:41.4
Ganon. So, may mga announcement na sila.
12:45.0
Parang sinabi nila, nirevoke ko daw yung permit.
12:49.0
Kinanser namin ang permit para kay Ed Samson. Okay?
12:53.4
Pero sila, mag-apply kayo ulit.
12:55.7
So, sinabi nila, nasa Freedom Park na lang daw sila.
12:58.7
The Freedom Park, it's not the property of the city but exclusive property of the provincial government.
13:07.3
So, nandun na sila.
13:08.6
Sabi ko, so everybody, they were already announcing.
13:10.5
Sa social media na Freedom Park sila.
13:14.6
Now, less than 24 hours from last night, or on May 6 at 5.09, May 6, the day before, wala na sana ang trabaho.
13:26.7
Ba't nag-overtime ako dito.
13:28.7
Sumulat na naman sila, Mayor, pwede kami mag-apply naman dito.
13:34.6
Sa Freedom Park, merong sulat ako.
13:36.3
Another, the same group na, itong grupo na bago siya.
13:39.2
So, ah, mga Mayor, mag-apply na kami, please, grant.
13:42.7
Sabi ko, o siya, sabi ko, hindi na nila ako nakausap kasi natanggap ko na lang sa office ko na meron silang re-application.
13:51.2
Now, if you apply, okay, for a period, at the same venue, sabi ko sa sarili ko, then they have to process it.
14:00.6
Pupunta na naman daw. Pupunta na, kailangan sila sa police, sa traffic.
14:05.7
Eh, ang sabi ng police ko, kung hindi nga natin...
14:09.2
Kaya for this before, lalo na itong less than 24 hours.
14:13.3
It doesn't make sense.
14:15.2
Pero napapaya kasi, ang local organizers, without, we do respect to our guests, no?
14:21.5
To the visitors who came all the way from different places and came here.
14:25.4
Talaga yun talagang nangyari, na napahiya ata sila sa mga guests nila, tinuloy na nila.
14:31.8
But then you're, sorry, sorry to cut you there, Mayor, but I don't know if you heard it.
14:37.3
Yes, please, yes, please.
14:38.0
But I watched the rally on YouTube last night, no?
14:42.8
Ang sinasabi nila, hindi naman daw nila kailangan ng permit.
14:47.3
Kaya nga, ang sinasabi, Freedom Park daw.
14:49.5
Dahil, ang konstitusyon mismo ang kanilang permit, Mayor.
14:54.3
Okay, alright. I'll answer that.
14:57.6
Meron ka tayo kaming Freedom Park, na sa province, hindi sa akin, hindi sa city.
15:03.9
They thought that because it was established as a Freedom Park,
15:08.0
they don't need the mayor's permit, but they would need a permission from the governor
15:12.9
or the provincial administrator kung available ba yung lugar.
15:17.2
So may permiso pa rin, but hindi na yung permit to rally.
15:22.3
So hindi naman silang humingi sa akin permit to rally at Freedom Park.
15:26.0
Humingi silang permit sa akin doon sa city's facility, na hindi naman ang diagnosis nila.
15:33.3
So I thought, napupunta din sila doon sa Freedom Park.
15:38.0
Pumunta sila, and hindi sila naka, doon sila sa periphery lang,
15:44.0
hindi sila talaga nag-rally doon, nag-media, conference or what not.
15:53.5
And nag-marcha sila dito sa city's Quezon Park.
15:60.0
Na in-accumulate naman namin.
16:02.9
Maski walang permiso, pumunta lang sila dito.
16:05.6
Sinamot ko nalang sa whatever, Fort Worth.
16:08.0
Whatever forces that we have, limited.
16:10.1
O sige, basta peaceful sila.
16:13.2
At tinatawag po kayo ang ambush rally.
16:15.8
Pagpustang nila doon, o sige.
16:18.3
They have their own stage.
16:21.7
Ayun na yung flash.
16:22.6
Yung mga nasa flash mob.
16:25.8
Nandun sa mga malls, di ba?
16:27.6
Ito yan okay, parang ambush rally.
16:30.3
Sige, pabayaan mo.
16:31.9
Make sure that everyone's safe.
16:33.9
Whatever forces that we have.
16:35.6
So, in a way, I'm also thankful.
16:38.0
Ang peaceful naman ang rally nila.
16:40.0
Although, it was not the rally that they hoped for because yung lugar na nag-rally sila,
16:46.8
it's Quezon Park.
16:48.3
If I can show you here, ang liit-liit na lugar na may be less than a thousand.
16:52.9
Malaki na yung 1,000 eh.
16:54.4
And then, because of the confusion,
16:57.6
because they intended to, sinabi ko, ilang-ilang taong gusto nyo, ang plano nyo?
17:04.1
Sabi ko, where do you get the people?
17:05.8
Nakakutin pa nila sa buong probinsya.
17:07.8
And then, as of 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they had no definitive place.
17:15.3
So, masyadong isa, yung ibang-ibang lugar na gusto sanang sumama.
17:21.9
Mayor, pasensya na po.
17:22.7
Kaya sinabi ko, if you had listened to me, yes.
17:26.4
Pasensya na po because we already ran out of time.
17:30.9
Pero siguro lamang, para lang matiyak din natin,
17:33.9
hindi nang tatanggain pa muli at any time soon
17:41.4
na makapagdaos ulit ng any kind of rally, prayer or political.
17:46.8
Diyan po sa dumagate.
17:47.8
Just a very quick response lang sa inyo, Mayor.
17:55.2
I am a believer as a lawyer, as a student of law.
17:58.8
I believe in the freedom of assembly, freedom of expression.
18:03.1
But there are limits to that. Yung permiso sa mga lugar. You cannot just rally in front of a black street for a government property. Dapat may ikwan. Merong order.
18:15.7
Now, the political twist is this. Ang kaibigan ko yan si Secretary Harry Roque, nagsabi siya na kasi si Mayor Embolio, classmate ni First Lady yan. Kaya malamang merong influence may.
18:33.5
Totoo po ba yan? Totoo po ba yan? Classmate kayo ni First Lady?
18:38.2
Yeah. I don't think so for thinking.
18:42.9
Ako kung kailan pa naman naging juicy.
18:45.7
Ay, naputo-putal yung signal. Mayor! Mayor!
18:51.6
Sabi ko sa taong bayan na although classmate ko si Dirito, maski kakaklasi ko yung First Lady, for the record, I campaigned and vigorously and voted for Lenny Robredo.
19:06.4
Kaya sabi ko hindi ko pwede yung sasabihan kaya kung kakaklasi ko yung First Lady, makupressure ako.
19:13.2
At sa law school, although kaibigan kami.
19:15.7
Hindi ako nangungopia sa kanya.
19:18.2
Wala akong utang na daw sa law school.
19:20.6
I became a lawyer with him.
19:22.6
And I take my hands off to the First Lady.
19:25.4
He respects my political positioning, opinion.
19:29.0
Even during the elections, we became friends.
19:30.8
And up to now, we're still friends.
19:32.4
Despite the fact that I was ready to friend.
19:37.3
And I'm also happy for some of the groups of, I mean, the advisors of President Duterte.
19:45.7
Mr. President, sa kanila, from the time that Duterte took his oath of office as president, up to the time that he stepped down, I supported him despite the fact that I voted and campaigned for Marojas.
19:59.6
Ganito din ito ngayon.
20:00.5
Whoever is the sitting president, every local government official should support.
20:06.2
And the programs, because he's our elected president.
20:10.3
And even told my friends there, baka naman premature yung mga rallies ninyo.
20:15.3
Kasi you were given six years.
20:19.5
Ito, dalawang taon lang si President Bongbong.
20:22.2
Bikin natin ang chance to perform or not to perform.
20:26.4
Then you start the blabbering.
20:28.6
You start, you know, your political exercise.
20:31.7
But, you know, si President Duterte, sinuportaan ko yan.
20:36.8
I may not agree to all his programs, but I never said resign, Duterte.
20:41.9
And it's clear here that in the video.
20:45.3
In the videos, yung mga taong dumagod, meron mga placard, resign, Bongbong.
20:50.2
Dabi ko, pa pa dun dumagin political.
20:54.7
And pa pa dun dumagin prayer rally.
20:59.0
And minomonitor ko yung program.
21:02.6
I never saw a speaker who prayed.
21:10.5
Mayor, kailangan na po natin magtapos.
21:12.9
We have to finish.
21:14.8
We have to finish our interview, Mayor.
21:16.8
So, nagpapasalamat po kami sa inyo, Mayor Remolio.
21:20.1
No relation to DOJ Secretary Remolia.
21:23.2
Pero, thank you so much, Mayor, na pinaliwanag niyo po ano yung naging sitwasyon.
21:31.6
Thank you po, Mayor.
21:32.6
They can come here anytime.
21:35.0
Sabihin na lang, political rally.
21:41.6
I am just, I am just, I'm sorry.
21:44.8
I'm sorry that I could not welcome the guest as a guest kasi nagugulo yung organization sa local level.
21:52.1
I don't blame our guests for acting that way.
21:55.7
But these are the local organization na nagkagulo.
21:59.7
Mayor, thank you so much po.
22:00.9
Kaya naman naitin dyan kami sa mga guest IQ, Tony and Carmina.