God’s presence and poetic justice at the Cebu Leni rally  

LeniKikoTeam organizers sent advice to interested rally attendees that approximately 65 vehicles would stop by various proposed pick-up and drop-off points (about 27 stops total) throughout Consolacion, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Cebu City, and Talisay City.

Early April 21, however, organizers informed interested participants that “due to LTFRB-7's refusal to issue special permits for their volunteer vehicles, long lines are expected to occur at their designated pick-up points.”

Rather than be daunted not to attend, supporters who couldn’t access the allowed free vehicles decided to pay their own fare to join the LeniKikoTeam Grand Rally.

Thanks to LTFRB-7’s refusal to issue special permits for the volunteer vehicles, the Kakampinks showed the genuine spirit of voluntarism and loudly showed to all that there is no hakutan, walang bayaran in rallies for the LeniKikoTeam.

The LTFRB-7’s refusal turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the LeniKikoTeam that demonstrated God’s presence/poetic justice in motion.

Secondly, in contrast to the elitist-looking venue for the rally of Marcos/team, Leni/team supporters upon entering the venue were surprised to experience that the Mandaue Reclamation rally area was muddy and the terrain uneven.

Can you imagine how difficult the muddy, uneven terrain was for the rally attendees, most especially for the PWDs and seniors?

Thank God for the straw/grass strewn over the mud to assist the supporters maneuver safely through the muddy, uneven terrain.

Although there were supporters in slippers who had to wash off the mud from their feet and despite the inconvenient venue, hundreds of thousands of supporters continued to fill the five-hectare Mandaue Reclamation rally venue, with many staying on till about or after 11 p.m.

Again reflectively, the big contrast in the physical convenience and ambience of the allowed rally venues, Citi di Mare in Cebu City and the Mandaue Reclamation area, demonstrated God’s presence and his poetic justice.

Why didn’t Cebu officials offer the same convenient treatment regarding rally venue to non-Marcos/Duterte candidates and supporters?

Had local government leaders chosen to be fair about allowing supporters of various candidates to use similar convenient rally venues, the glaring contrast and the seeming unfair, unjust, shabby treatment for the Kakampinks would not have been noticed.

Now voters have realized the clear and blatant partisan stance of local government officials and candidates.

If these Cebu LGU officials can use their power to deny the same convenience for rallies of candidates they don’t support, what more for the powerless poor, needy and marginalized?

After seeing their clear partisan behavior, for sure, many voters will think twice about who among the Cebu local government candidates to vote for.

Thirdly, what if the Leni Rally was also allowed at the 2.9-hectare Citi di Mare? Then, the truth about the crowd estimates would have been easier to check.

Was the bigger Mandaue City Reclamation rally venue instead allowed to show all that the Leni team cannot match the huge Cebu crowd for the Marcos team rally?

Surprise!

Who would have imagined the five-hectare Mandaue Reclamation Rally venue would be filled to the brim by Kakampinks?

If similar crowd estimation procedure is followed for both the teams of Leni and Marcos, then based on the estimate of four attendees per square meter of the confirmed land area of the rally venue, then objectively, the maximum crowd estimates are as follows:

For Citi di Mare: 2.9 hectares or 29,000 sq. m. times 4 = 116,000 persons for Marcos team.

For Mandaue Reclamation rally venue: Five hectares or 50,000 sq. m. times 4 = 200,000 persons for Leni/team.

This unexpected genuine April 21 huge turnout appears to be an added demonstration of God’s presence and poetic justice at the Cebu Leni rally!