An estimated 8,000 people, roughly 1/4 of Makilala’s entire voting population, showed up in a final big rally of my group yesterday in what was considered as the biggest political gathering ever in this town of gentle people at the foot of Mt. Apo.
I knew many would come to the rally but I did not expect that such a huge number would turn up given the fact that local political officials who are supporting my political opponent have been exerting pressure on and intimidating my leaders and supporters in the town.
In fact, local officials employed the old and worn out diversionary strategy of sabotaging my rally by enticing people to go to the beach yesterday offering free transportation and food.
The gimmick may have worked on some but for thousands of people of Makilala who are now suffering from the effects of the very low prices of rubber cuplumps and copra and the battered rural roads, no diversionary tactics could stop them from expressing their disgust and discontent at the way government is being run in North Cotabato today.
Not even the refusal of the mayor of Makilala to issue a rally permit in the town’s public market area could stop the people from coming.
Organizers of the rally led by local businessman Dr. Ramon Floresta instead moved the political gathering to a privately-owned space at the corner of the Cotabato-Davao and Makilala-Tacurong national roads.
The people started coming at 2 p.m. for a rally which was supposed to start at 4 p.m.
By the time I went up on stage to deliver my message, the crowd has swollen to about 8,000, some of them climbing up the LGC building to get a better view of the rally.
The huge turn-out carried with it a lot of message, the clearest of which was that local political officials could no longer herd their people and force them to vote for their candidates.
“Maayo man sila kay nakakwarta sila ug may (green) multi-cab pa. Kami nag-antos gihapon,” said one local leader who attended yesterday’s rally.
The other message that the huge rally imparted was that there is definitely no way to stop the will and the voice of the people from being heard in the coming elections.
No amount of money and rice, and even free 3 liters of gasoline for “habal-habal” motorcycle drivers daily until election day, could sway the people’s decision to embrace the governance of Manny Pinol which in the past brought relief to those in the countryside and provided them with a more comfortable life.
With the prices of rubber cuplumps plummeting from a high of over P100 per kilo to only P36 today and copra from P58 per kilo during my time to only P14 today, people are steadfast in their desire to change the political leadership in the province.
The message expressed by over 8,000 people of Makilala who attended the rally yesterday should now make the local political leaders ponder on their political fate should they continue herding their people towards damnation.
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