Surigao market fish vendors ‘WE’RE FROM MINDANAO, WE SUPPORT DUTERTE!’

By Manny Piñol

Visiting the Surigao City Wet Market a day after Korina Sanchez-Roxas distributed plastic aprons to the fish vendors, I made a pleasant discovery today that Surigao City residents have already decided to support Presidential frontrunner Rody Duterte of Davao City over other candidates.

“Taga Mindanao kita. Dapat gyud Duterte kita kay first time ni,” said the fish vendors who gathered around me after somebody recognised me while I was picking the freshest fish for lunch, along with my brother, Ferdinand, and companions John Pagaduan and Toto Frades.

Actually, I had no intention of making my presence known or of introducing myself. I just wanted to visit the Surigao market to buy fish and other sea products to be cooked for lunch in the eateries right beside the fish market as I have done many times in my previous trips to this beautiful city of very friendly people.

In fact, I was just in beach shorts, white undershirt and rubber slippers which cost me P145.

But my cover was blown when I bumped into former boxer Christopher Saluday, a Surigaonon who fought Mexican Goyo Vargas in an exciting undercard of the Manny Pacquiao world title fight in Davao City on Oct. 26, 2002 which I and Rody Duterte promoted.

Saluday, who sells sea products along with his father in the market after he retired from boxing, immediately announced my presence to the other vendors.

In an instant, all hell broke loose. People started asking for ballers and posing for pictures.

The fish vendors told me that Korina visited the fish market the day before to distribute plastic aprons marked with the Roxas-Robredo Daang Matuwid logo.

“Gidawat ra pud namo kay magamit man,” they said. (We accepted it because we could use it.)

But many remained defiant. In fact, they told me that while Korina was in the fish market, some of the vendors were heard shouting “Duterte, Duterte, Duterte!”

“We had to stop them to show a little respect,” an elderly vendor said.

The vendors said the other candidates could give them anything and they may decide to accept the “gifts,” but they have long decided to support Duterte.

“Taga Mindanao na pud. Sige na lang pirme. Unya kalimtan lang ta diri paghuman sa eleksyon,” said a fish vendor. (Let’s elect somebody from Mindanao. They have always dominated it. Then they forget us after the elections.)

This is a sentiment that prevails not only in Surigao City but almost all over Mindanao and especially in the Bangsamoro and Davao Regions.

This is a sentiment which Duterte’s rivals for the Presidency would have to address because with about 14 million voters and Duterte leading by over 50%, this could really be a big headache.

(Samsung Note photos by John Pagaduan)