(Eagle News) – Filipinos who are dissatisfied with Vice-President Leni Robredo have set a “Palit Bise” indignation rally at the Quirino Grandstand in Rizal Park at 4 p.m. today, Sunday (April 2) to express their dissatisfaction with Robredo, particularly on her recent video message sent to a United Nations conference on narcotic drugs where she hit the government’s drug war.
The rally was dubbed, Palit Bise, in apparent reference to the “Palit Ulo” scheme criticized by Robredo on her video message where she said the “wife or husband or relative of a person in a so-called drug list will be taken if the person himself could not be found.”
The Philippine National Police and Malacanang however said Robredo misrepresented the facts in her video message sent to a side event of a United Nations Conference on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella even said that Robredo misunderstood the “palit-ulo” scheme.
According to Abella, the so-called palit-ulo scheme actually involved “a commitment of a drug suspect to provide assistance in the arrest of a ‘bigger fish’ in the illegal drug syndicate.”
He said this could be an “up-line, superior or supplier of the arrested suspect.” Under the scheme, he added, an arrested drug suspect could plea for lighter charges.
This “palit-ulo” reference used by Robredo in her video message is now being used by her critics so she can be replaced as the Vice-President.
The “Palit Bise” rally was also attended by noted artists who are supporting President Duterte.
When the program started at around 5 p.m., Miss Saigon artist, Isay Alvarez, sang the Philippine National Anthem.
Another Miss Saigon artist, Ima Castro, who also played “Kim” in Miss Saigon also sang at the start of the show.
Mocha Uson, a newspaper columnist and vocal supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, wrote about why they are staging the anti-Robredo rally in Luneta in her column at the Philippine Star.
Mocha, who is also a member of the Movie and Television Classification and Review Board, said the “Palit-Bise” rally was in response to moves by certain people, including politicians, to discredit and “destroy the image of our President and our country using lies and inaccurate information.”
“They seem to be deaf to the cries of the people, their cry for change and their cry for a better tomorrow. Which is why on April 2, we will show the world that the Filipino people support President Duterte and that we say no to politicians who seek to destroy the image of our country using lies and deception,” Uson said in her column on Saturday at the Philippine Star.
“Now, why is the rally on April 2 important? Because it will be our way to show the world that Filipinos will protect their duly elected President and their hope for a better future for their nation,” she wrote.
“The rally will be our way of expressing the voice of the people that we are supporting the President amidst all the attacks against him as well as the impeachment case filed against him. The rally will be our way of telling the yellow politicians that we have had enough of their lies, deception and their continuous attacks which are already affecting the image of our country as a whole,” she added.
Organizers said there are also “Palit Bise” rallies against Robredo happening in other major cities around the world.
Mocha explained that many Filipinos not only in the Philippines, but also in other parts of the world, have been expressing disgust with what Robredo had tried to do in the international arena.
“They must be reminded that they lost last election and their only win is still shrouded in doubt,” she said in apparent reference to Robredo.
“They have lost last election because the people have lost their trust in them and their capability to do what’s best for the Filipinos. Which is why through this rally, we will show them that we can see through their mask and that if the people can put them in power, the people can also take it away from them,” Uson wrote.
Mocha also warned Robredo, although indirectly in her column, and all those who would want to remove the 72-year old popular Philippine president that this time, the Filipinos who elected Duterte are more vigilant.
“They have been in power for a long time now and maybe they have been used to getting what they want all the time. So, on April 2, we will let them know that they do not have the support of the people and that if they intend to get back to power by taking down Duterte, the power that was given to them by the people can also be taken from them by the people,” she said.
The rally is not funded by politicians, Uson explained, but by those who would attend the rally themselves.
“This is also the reason why the funds for the rally came from voluntary contributions of Die-hard Duterte Supporters. We were able to gather around P2.2 million in just a few days and this shows that the people are getting tired of not being heard; that they are willing to fund their own rally so that the selfish politicians and people around the world will finally listen to what the Filipino people are calling for: true change in our country,” she said.
The last big rally staged at the Quirino Grandstand was held on February 25 in support of President Duterte where around half a million showed up. It was staged simultaneous to a rally criticizing President Duterte’s policies held at the People Power Monument along EDSA which was attended by Vice-President Robredo and former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, as well as his supporters. This EDSA rally, however, gathered only over a thousand supporters.