SUPPORTERS of Vice President Sara Duterte gathered at Roxas Freedom Park on Roxas Avenue, Davao City for the simultaneous Indignation Rally and candle-lighting ceremony on Sunday, February 9, 2025.
Bringing with them banners and wearing shirts bearing the messages #protectvpsara and #notoimpeachment, the rallyists held a candle-lighting ceremony, while the Muslim community dedicated a prayer to the Vice President.
Randy Usman, former deputy mayor of the Maranao tribe and one of the conveners, said in a media interview that the supporters were composed of Christians, members of the Indigenous Peoples (IP), and Muslims. He said they wanted to voice their concern over the impeachment of Duterte.
“Yung complaint nila ay walang bearing na yung kinaso nila kay VP Inday na which walang bearing hindi niya pwede sagutin, walang katotohanan yung ginawa ng quadcom (The complaint that they filed has no bearing; the case they filed against VP Inday has no bearing, and she should not be held accountable for it because there is no truth to what the quadcom is doing),” he said.
Usman added that the small turnout of supporters was because only key leaders participated in the event, adding that many supporters from the Davao Region had expressed their support, with some coming from as far as Surigao.
He added that the event was conceptualized just a few days before the actual rally.
Usman said the people in Congress were ganging up on Duterte and the cases against her were baseless. He even recalled that when Duterte served as mayor of Davao City, she and her family were heavily respected by other politicians.
Regarding concerns about the confidential fund, Usman said that the House of Representatives should not be involved in its investigation as it is the responsibility of the Commission on Audit (COA), emphasizing that even President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s confidential fund, which is a lot higher, was not investigated.
Usman stressed that those congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint against Duterte will surely receive zero votes from her supporters. He said that if they, indeed, were fair lawmakers, all politicians who have confidential funds should be investigated.
Monday Mar Ruaza Ayso, a 22-year-old worker from Surigao del Sur, said that he saw the indignation rally on Facebook, thus he joined to express his support for Duterte.
“Hindi ako nagdalawang-isip na pumunta kasi [I did not think twice to come here because] I am one of the 32 million people who voted Sara and now I am here protecting VP Sara,” he said.
The rally ended with speeches from the supporters, the lighting of candles, and a rendition of Bayan Ko by the attendees. Usman said that they would not stop voicing their concerns until the impeachment complaint against Duterte is withdrawn. He added that they are also awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the General Appropriations Act (GAA).
To recall, four impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte. However, in a press conference, the embattled vice president dismissed the complaints, stating that a breakup was much worse. She emphasized that despite the pursuit of impeachment against her, she was “okay.”
Duterte then mentioned that her legal team had been preparing for the impeachment complaint against her since November 2023, when ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro first raised the issue. RGP