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[av_heading heading=’Duterte’s Bacolod City audience paid to listen? ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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BACOLOD City – The city government and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) denied paying people to listen to President Rodrigo Duterte speak at the 37th MassKara Festival opening ceremony on Sunday.
People attended events graced by the President without asking for anything, according to Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
On the other hand, PDP-Laban secretary-general for Negros Island Region Yves Akol said they did not have a direct hand in facilitating Duterte’s attendance.
Duterte spoke at the public plaza around 5 p.m. on Sunday where he apologized to the Jewish community for equating his war against illegal drugs to Adolf Hitler’s killing of Jews during World War II.
“I apologize profoundly and deeply to the Jewish community,” the President said.
The issue on the distribution of money stemmed from a Facebook post by the user Cesar Bustamante Beloria Jr.
Several residents gathered in Barangay 12 on Sunday were given P100 each to attend the MassKara opening and cheer for Duterte, the user claimed.
“Nga-a need pa kamo manghatag tag P100 para mag-attend kay Digong? Kay sino naman pakana ini?! Daw gusto nyo pa halitan si Digong haw? This is documented…Pasikat kay Digong? Para damo ma-attend?” the user’s post read.
Leonardia denied any knowledge about the claim. If it really happened, he said, the people behind it must be “really envious.”
“The President is a crowd magnet. You even have to control them (his supporters),” said the mayor. “I don’t even understand how much people adore him.”
Akol said they have “more than 3,000 (local) volunteers who worked and supported the President for free during the campaign” for the May elections.
“Why should we give out money? We even limited our volunteers (at the opening) to only 40 people,” said the PDP-Laban official.
Local reporters were able to reach the Facebook user who made the post.
In a phone interview, Beloria did not believe the President’s camp was behind the alleged distribution of P100.
“Whoever it was, I don’t know. But I have witnesses who can testify that it happened,” said Beloria, a lawyer. “I was just surprised. Being Duterte supporters, we never do this because we don’t have to.”
He added: “I just opened it up to clear the President’s name. We, the supporters, spent for his campaign. There’s no way that his supporters would ask for money just for people to cheer for him.”/PN
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