PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte confirmed his attendance to the Duterte Campaign Team People’s Grand Rally Friday, March 15, at the Crocodile Park.
The rally is expected to gather some 50,000 supporters coming from different areas in the region.
Engineer Arwin Ardon of the Duterte Campaign Team, in a press conference Thursday at Grand Men Seng Hotel, said the event is in collaboration with the President’s political allies.
The activity is aimed to have a formal endorsement of senatorial candidates Zajid Mangudadato, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Koko Pimentel, and Francis Tolentino. Aside from them, Senator Cynthia Villar, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, Senator JV Ejercito, Pia Cayetano, Rafael Alunan, Freddie Aguilar, and Sonny Angara will also be in attendance.
Ardon said the event aims to seek Dabawenyos’ support, and the support of the whole Davao region as well.
Entry point will open at 2 p.m. onwards but lockdown will be implemented few minutes before the President arrives.
He said there will also be performances to entertain the crowd while candidates will be giving speeches.
Security
With the number of expected participants tomorrow, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) elevated its security and will enforce a three-layer security measure (external, internal and covert) in coordination with its partners from Task Force Davao, other augmentation forces based in Davao City like Police Regional Office (PRO) 11, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 11, and Highway Patrol Group (HPG).
“Be assured that with our series of coordinating conferences that we conducted to plan our security operation for tomorrow’s activity, we will be covering all possible contingencies to ensure the success and security and safety of all the participants for tomorrow’s activity,” DCPO director Police Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum said.
Everyone will be passing through one primary security control point for the inspection. Afterwards, there will be five security control points distributed around the area and another 11 sectors that they have established headed by senior officers to ensure that all backpacks, luggages and boxes cannot pass through.
Also umbrella, ballpen, and pointed objects that can be used as improvised weapon are not allowed inside.
Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) head Dionisio Abude, for his part, said that there will be no road closure tomorrow. He further assured that their office has crafted a plan for a smooth flow of traffic during the staging of the activity.
“The City Transport and Management Office was tasked to prepare a traffic plan for the flow of vehicles going in and out of the Crocodile Park. We will be presenting our traffic plan with regards to the parking, drop off, inspection area, the frisking and the parking of the VIP and VVIP and the general parking and the exit of the vehicles from Crocodile Park,” Abude said.