Bukidnon rodeo festival dedicated to slain ‘cowboy’ mayor

This year's annual rodeo in Bukidnon province became a tribute for a "cowboy" town mayor who died in an ambush in July.

Last Saturday, participants at the Rodeo Festival 2014 remembered Impasug-ong Mayor Mario Okinlay as a cowboy and rodeo fan, GMA Northern Mindanao's Jeik Compo reported.



Some participants in the rodeo cried for justice and some of the cowboys wore polo shirts with the message "Justice for Mayor Okinlay."

The New People's Army has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying  Okinlay was a "rabid counter-revolutionary."

Police have charged two rebel returnees over the killing.

"Ginawa naming tribute sa kanya. kahit wala na siya, bigyan pa rin natin ng importansya. So huwag nating kalimutan ang mga itinuro niya sa larong Rodeo noon na strikto si Mayor Mario sa mga cowboy na hindi naka-insert, hindi naka-uniform, walang sombrero, hindi naka-boots," Okinlay's widow Julia said.

The GMA Northern Mindanao report said Mayor Okinlay was one of the pillars of rodeos in Bukidnon. It quoted his widow as saying this year's rodeo was almost cancelled due to the mayor's killing.

She said the rodeo should be the mayor's legacy.

"Ang rodeo, kay mayor ito na legacy, siya ang author nito, nga lang ngayon, wala na siya physically, but hopefully the spirit of rodeo is still around , hopefully it’s not the end of rodeo in Bukidnon," she said.

Meanwhile, Okinlay's daughter Catherine said Okinlay's memory can live on through the annual event.

"Naniniwala siya that rodeo is a family affair. So in our family itself medyo nawalan kami, pero I still believe na andyan siya ngayon kasi andito ang mga tao niya at ang love sa rodeo is still there," she said. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News