Extreme tolerance for rallyists
Former senator and Martial Law detainee Serge Osmeña to speak in anti-Marcos rally
THE Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) will practice extreme tolerance of rallyists who are expected to march on the major streets in the city today to protest the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in the Libingan ng mga Bayani early this month.
CCPO Director Joel Doria encouraged the rallyists to conduct a peaceful rally and avoid causing traffic on the streets.
“Sumunod lang kung saan, ‘wag lang makaabala sa traffic. Nandun naman yung mga police sa area, we will provide them with security para walang maka infiltrate (Just follow where you’re going, don’t disrupt the traffic. The police will be in the area),” said Doria.
Aside from the police’s Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) team, civilian volunteer groups will also help augment the security during the activity.
“Rest assured that as long they follow the program, after that, then we’ll peacefully disperse,” he said.
Representatives of the Cebu Citizens Assembly Against the Marcos Burial at the LNMB will hold various activities starting at 8 a.m. today until the early evening in different parts of Cebu City.
During a press conference at the Plaza Independencia yesterday, the Cebu-based anti-Marcos coalition said that they are condemning the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for not only allowing the late dictator to have a hero’s burial, but also for his various pronouncements on the possibility of imposing Martial Law and the alleged endorsement of extrajudicial killings.
The group said that they will also honor seven Cebuano martyrs and eight Martial Law survivors who fought during the Marcos regime.
The Cebuano martyrs that will be honored today are late broadcaster Nenita “Inday Nita” Cortes-Daluz; Fr. Rosalio “Rudy” Romano, a Redemptorist priest who remains missing until now; the late Vicente Balbuena, a well-known lawyer who defended political prisoners during Martial Law; Evelyn Neri, university professor who was killed during the Marcos regime; the late Ribomapil “Dodong” Holganza Sr., a wellknown activist; Fr. Louie Hechanova, a Redemptorist priest who along with Romano, opposed the regime at that time; and lawyer Valentino Legaspi, a former assemblyman and Marcos critic.
The martyrs and survivors will be honored through a ceremonial burying of a time capsule at the Plaza Independencia at 10 a.m. today, with former senator and Martial Law detainee Sergio Osmeña III as a speaker.
The noise barrage will continue until 7 p.m.