Duterte mobbed METRO MANILANS GO WILD IN ‘MAD for Change’ CONCERT

By Manny Piñol

It was planned two weeks ago to be a gathering of musicians and artists to continue the call for Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte to run for President.

Last night, the musical concert MAD for Change or Musicians and Artists for Duterte, turned into a happy and wild celebration of tens of thousands of Metro Manilans who waited for six hours to catch a glimpse of the man they hope would bring change to their lives.

People gathered at the vast vacant lot in the Megaworld Property on Mackinley Road in the Bonifacio Global City as early as 3 p.m. and endured the long wait and hunger when they were told that Duterte would be joining the concert.

At the climax of the event, the crowd was estimated to be close to 100,000.

It started with a community prayer which included a Muslim Imam.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who has been declared by Duterte as his vice presidential running mate, and his wife, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, arrived early along with the whole Cayetano clan and the political leaders of the city.

Musicians gathered by event organisers Pompee Laviña, his cousin and Duterte spokesman Peter Laviña and band leader Popong Landero entertained the crowd for five long hours.

In between, professional basketball players led by Marc Pingris appeared on stage and threw balls to the crowd creating a bedlam.

Musical groups, including the group that popularised the hit song “Takbo” which was composed and sang by the group to convince Duterte to run for President, and jaded music icons like Lolita Carbon, performed during the long wait.

Finally, when Duterte arrived shortly after 10 p.m., the huge crowd erupted into a wild jubilation.

Vice President candidate Alan Peter Cayetano introduced Duterte as the crowd chanted “Duterte!,” “Duterte!,” “Duterte!.”

When Duterte finally stood up to speak, the crowd fell silent and then erupted into an uproar, especially when the man called “The Punisher” by Time Magazine delivered his now famous “killing lines.”

Amazed by the reaction of the crowd who literally mobbed Duterte as he came into the concert area even after a long 6-hour wait, former army general Art Tabaquero said “If I were the other presidential candidates, I would be terribly scared.”

This early, Metro Manilans are already showing to whom their votes would go in May 2016 when the country elects a new President.

In spite of the defeaning repetition of political battle cries of the other presidential candidates like “Tuwid na Daan,” “Bagong Umaga,” and “Gaganda ang Buhay,” the people only understand one word: “Change.”

Last night, they heard the word “Change” from the man who is credited for turning a former Killing Fields of Communist assassins into one of the world’s safest cities.

By the crowd’s reaction, it was evident that “Change” is coming.

(Photos of the MAD for Change Concert taken by Romirose Padin, Chito Fuentes and myself.)