From the town of Ubay to the capital city Tagbilaran and to the premier tourist destination in the municipality of Panglao, a frenzied crowd estimated at more than 60,000 mobbed, shouted their voices harsh, listened with rapt attention, screamed and lapped up every word uttered by Davao City Mayor dubbed as the “political messiah”
The Partido Demokratriko Pilipino-Laban presidential standard bearer together with his vice presidential candidate Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano mounted the stage in Bohol last Sunday to bring home the message “matapang na solusyon. mabilis na aksyon”.
During the three rallies in Bohol, Duterte and his running mate Cayetano pushed for genuine change and vowed to stop the uncontrolled proliferation of illegal drugs, criminality and corruption in the first six months of their terms.
From the time his chopper landed at the Ubay airport, a huge crowd ignored hazards and breached control measures in helicopter landings and rushed towards Duterte and Cayetano.
Ignoring the women, Duterte kissed a baby girl upon alighting from the chopper and proceeded to the Holy Infant Jesus Parish Church and asked for the blessings from Ubay Parish Priest Fr. Gilberto Anana.
Duterte and Cayetano delivered their message of crime free communities rid of drugs and corruption and economic upliftment aimed at poor and struggling Boholanos during a spillover rally at the Magsaysay Gymnasium in Poblacion Ubay.
Heading to Bohol on board a chopper reportedly leased from a Boholano millionaire, Duterte and Cayetano met with Bishop Leonardo Medroso of the Diocese of Tagbilaran at the Bishop’s residence at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Barangay Taloto, Tagbilaran City.
A long line of vehicles brought Duterte with a motorcade that snaked through the city streets lined with enthusiastic Tagbilaranons raising their clenched fists screaming the name “Duterte”.
A crowd estimated at almost 20,000 jammed every inch of space at the Tagbilaran City Square at CPG Avenue despite standing for four hours for the rally that started at way past 7PM.
In his usual devil may care speech, Duterte minced no words in attacking his political rival Liberal Party (LP) presidential bet Mar Roxas knowing fully well that Bohol is controlled by the LP through the leadership of Governor Edgar Chatto and Rep, Rene Relampagos.
A tight schedule capped what could have been a long winded speech that enthralled the crowd with his usual down to earth spiels interspersed with his trademark invectives and expletives that is his way of showing his frustration on the ineptness of government
In the Tagbilaran rally which was aired live over dyRD, Duterte proclaimed several local candidates including some who were not even known as PDP party members.
Duterte and Cayetano proceeded to Panglao to proclaim the PDP-Laban slate headed by no less than the Provincial Chairman of PDP-Bohol former Panglao Mayor Dr. Doloreich Dumaluan and the Vice Mayoralty bet also a former Mayor, Benedicto Alcala.
Before a crowd of 10,000 who were also standing in wait for almost three hours, Duterte and Cayetano bared their platform of govenment with the elimination of drugs, corruption and the return of the coco levy within 100 days as the center of their agenda.
Despite the late night, Duterte worked the crowd with his usual unpretentious style that endears him to the electorate.
Duterte told the crowd in bold and categorical assertions to accept him for what he is and in making Davao City the fourth safest city in the world.
Duterte and Cayetano stayed overnight in Panglao for a much needed rest and proceeded to Dumaguete for another huge rally.(Chito M. Visarra)