Sara Duterte-Carpio. Photo from: Lakas-CMD
MANILA, Philippines — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who is the survey front-runner among the vice-presidential candidates, defended on Thursday her move to ban political caravans and motorcades in her city.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with members of the LGBTQ community in Quezon City, Duterte said her order to ban caravans in Davao City was meant “to protect the interests” of her constituents.
“I am the mayor of Davao City. I am tasked to protect the interest of the Davaoeños,” she said. “I already said that we need to empathize with everyone who will most likely suffer because of the increasing prices of fuel.”
Due to increasing fuel prices
Based on the mayor’s Executive Order No. 10, released on March 7, Duterte banned all kinds of motorcades in Davao City, citing the increasing fuel prices, among others.
READ: Lacson sees ‘irony’ in Sara Duterte’s motorcade ban, hopes she reconsiders order
Duterte issued the order amid the nonstop rising prices in fuel products and after she concluded a 28-day caravan called “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride” for the whole of February.
Presidential candidate Panfilo Lacson has urged Duterte to reconsider her order to ban motorcades in Davao City “in the spirit of fair play.”
But the President’s daughter said politicians could still conduct their caravans outside Davao City.
She said she would follow her own order and would not conduct motorcades in Davao City.
“Motorcades and caravans are not prohibited in other places, only in Davao City, and that is my duty as mayor of Davao City,” she said.
Asked if she would now cancel her motorcades, the President’s daughter said it would still depend on her schedule.
“There are motorcades that I attend, there are motorcades that I do not attend,” she said.
On Thursday, the mayor met with tricycle drivers and residents of Quezon City’s Payatas village without her running mate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.