Turnout at Plaza Miranda rally an eye-opener for Duterte critics —SBMA official

The pro-Duterte rally held at Plaza Miranda on September 21 dubbed as a “national day of protest” was a “very, very big success,” but it wasn’t a “show of force,” clarified one of its organizers Saturday.

“Never po pumasok sa isip namin na ito ay show of force. Ito po ay pagpaparinig lang ng boses na ito po yung mayorya na natutuwa sa nangyayari,” said Benny Antiporda, a board member of the Subic Bay Management Authority.

“Never lumabas yung salita na ‘pakita natin na mas marami tayo,” Antiporda said, adding that it was instead an affirmation of the people’s trust in the president.

“Kung show of force, kulang 'yan,” Antiporda said.

He did, however, say the event's impact was to serve as an eye-opener for the administration's critics: "Nagising sila na ganito pa rin pala karami, ganito pa rin pala ang suporta," he said.

According to police, at least 16,000 people participated in the rally, much less than the anticipated 50,000.

Antiporda, meanwhile, claimed there were as many as 20,000, because the crowd fluctuated depending on arrivals and departures of the participants, who came from Metro Manila, as well as other parts of Luzon.

Antiporda, meanwhile, clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte didn’t even want a rally of support for him.

“For the record, ayaw ng pangulo na magkaroon ng rally, kahit ano pa man. Ang sinabi niya, ayaw niya yan, dahil ayaw niya ngang sinasabi na show of force yan,” Antiporda said.
 
Despite not having a specific criteria for assessment, Antiporda said he considers the rally successful because of the peace that reigned during the event.

“I consider it a very, very big success because the event turned out peaceful,” he said. In fact, he said, anti-Duterte protesters even drove behind the Plaza Miranda crowd without any untoward incident occurring.

This, and the “overwhelming support,” as proved by the large turnout of attendees despite the short notice for the event, he added.

Antiporda said he, along with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Deputy Directer General Alvin Feliciano and Abdulrashid Ladayo of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, sat down a few days before September 21 and came up with a plan to “make their voice heard.”

While the Luneta crowd chanted “Never Again to Martial Law” and “Stop the Killings,” the thousands gathered at Plaza Miranda wanted “unity,” Antiporda said.

“Ang panawagan lang natin ay magkaisa tayo,” he said.

He dismissed fears of martial law as “propaganda,” and warned critics of the government not to compare late president Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law with Duterte’s presidency.

He also said they wanted to show support for the president’s war on drugs.

“Let’s give the president a chance na patunayan yung sinasabi niya na kaya niyang linisin itong ating lipunan, na kaya niyang ipatigil yung droga na 'yan,” he added.

Duterte has flip-flopped multiple times on his administration’s capability to eradicate the drug problem in the country.

During his presidential campaign, he said he could solve the drug issue in three to six months, but later admitted it couldn’t be done in just one term. —Nicole-Anne Lagrimas/ALG, GMA News