SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday said the huge turnout of supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte at the Luneta rally on Saturday is a validation that he enjoys the support of the majority of the Filipino people.
The gathering at Luneta coincided with the commemoration of the 31st anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution held at the People Power Monument.
“Clearly, yung nangyari nung Sabado, makita natin na alin yung majority, alin yung minority. So nakikita natin, yung suporta sa ating Pangulo, talagang anduduon pa rin. At malakas pa rin yung suporta dahil nga on the basis of the platform of government ay binigyan siya ng huge mandate by the people,” Alvarez said in a television interview.
He said comparison between the turnouts in the separate events on Saturday cannot be helped. Alvarez noted that participation in the Luneta event was purely voluntary.
Likewise, Alvarez pointed out that Duterte supporters held similar gatherings in several urban centers, including Cebu City, Davao City, Butuan City, and Cagayan de Oro City, among others.
“Pinapakita lang siguro nung mga supporters niya na talagang ito ay suportado ng sambayanan,” Alvarez said.
He said that while the turnout apparently did not reach a million, there were “enough warm bodies.” Police estimates place the number of the Luneta crowd at 215,000.