CONVINCING SARA. Davao City Barangay 23-C chairman Alimoden Usman (left) and Barangay Cabantian village chief Mark Galvez brief the local media on the 'Run, Sara, Run' grand caravan in Manila on March 21, 2021. The barangay officials hope their message would generate more support among Filipinos to convince Mayor Sara Z. Duterte to enter the presidential race in 2022. (PNA photo by Che Palicte)
DAVAO CITY – Local organizers for the "Run, Sara, Run" campaign are set to spearhead a "grand caravan" at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila next week.
Barangay 23-C chairman Alimoden Usman, the campaign convenor, said the March 21 caravan aims to amplify their calls for Mayor Sara Z. Duterte to run in next year's presidential race while raising public awareness to gain more support for their advocacy.
“We will start with a holy mass on March 17, and we will immediately start our travel. Our first stop is Tandag, and we will join a caravan there where the Davao City barangay captains will be the guest speaker,” Usman said in a press briefing Monday afternoon.
He said the Davao City delegation would be composed of a 30-man team composed of barangay officials, deputy mayors, and business representatives.
More barangay leaders will fly to Manila on March 19 to join the event, he said.
A Manila-based organizer, Usman said, has already secured a permit for the event, adding that health protocols would be observed during the activity.
Usman reiterated his group's belief that the presidential daughter remains the only person who can continue the works of President Rodrigo Duterte in ending insurgency and maintaining peace and order in the country.
“All the barangay captains here in Davao are supporting 100 percent in this advocacy. We will do the same thing as what we have done in 2016, where we successfully convince the current President to run,” the barangay official said.
Meanwhile, Barangay Cabantian chairperson Mark Galvez said they believe gathering more supporters would ultimately convince Mayor Sara to "take on the challenge."
“We might not be able to convince the mayor, but if it is the clamor of the people, I know she will not refuse to run. We want to tell the Filipinos that she has the potential and the most appropriate person to lead the country,” Galvez added.
The barangay leaders also made it clear that their travel would not hamper the functions of their respective barangays.
“Personally, I already filed a leave and have conducted a meeting with other barangay officials. Rest assured that our advocacy will not hamper the function of our respective barangays,” Galvez said.
The group also emphasized that it is not soliciting funds for any of its activities, even if it is voluntarily offered.
“We [barangay captains] contributed from our own money for the purchase of tarpaulins, t-shirts, and gasoline for our vehicles. We are using our own money for this advocacy,” Usman assured. (PNA)
