PHDAVAO CITY (Updated) -- The City Council unanimously approved on Tuesday a resolution tagging Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and New York-based philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis as personas non grata in the city.
Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag on Tuesday pushed to declare Trillanes persona non grata (unwelcome person) for spreading the false claim that Davao City is the most dangerous city in the country.
The senator has been claiming that Davao City is "number one in murder, number two in rape and Davao City is the most dangerous city of the Philippines" in his talks abroad.
"Declaring the city is the most dangerous city in the Philippines is not acceptable! This is an insult to the 1.6 million Dabawenyos who are working hard every day to make our city safe," Al-ag said in his speech.
Al-ag also condemned the senator's description of Dabawenyos saying that they were just "brainwashed" by the Dutertes in believing that Davao is the safest city in the world.
He said that such statement is a "mockery" to Dabawenyos intelligence. Al-ag added that Trillanes went to United States only to portray Davao City as dangerous place, a place full of criminals, a city of murderers, and a city of rapists.
Al-ag said that Dabawenyos are furious and angry with the words and actions of the senator and he is unwelcome in the city.
"Mr. Trillanes, we do not need you here in Davao City. You are unwelcome and unwanted in our city of Davao. You have not done anything good at all to our city," he said.
The vice mayor cited that the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) given to the city signed by then Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) Mar Roxas would disprove the report of the statistics of the Philippine National Police in 2015 that became basis of Trillanes' declaration.
"We even received five million pesos cash reward from DILG as part of the award. During the awarding ceremony, the DILG said, ‘To win the SGLG the nominee must follow the three plus one principle where it should pass all the three core assessment areas. Among the assessment areas are peace and order, business friendliness, and competitiveness and environmental management.’ Let us remember that PNP is under the jurisdiction of the DILG," Al-ag added.
He also said Senator Trillanes will not succeed in destroying the city, in destroying Dabawenyos and President Rodrigo Duterte.
At the end of his speech, Al-ag challenged the Filipinos in Chicago who attended the forum of the senator to come and visit Davao City.
"Try riding our taxis, our jeepneys... try walking in our streets in the middle of the night, try eating in our restaurants and karenderias, try going to our police stations. And if you will feel even an iota of danger, if you feel and think that Davao is a city of murderers and rapists as what Mr. Trillanes declared, I will refund all your travel expenses plus pocket money going back to Chicago," he said.
Meanwhile, Davao City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang also moved to also declare New York-based resident Loida Nicolas persona non grata.
"She is also one of the plotters against the republic by instigating an investigation to International Criminal Court, the point here is, instead of destroying the republic outside of the country why would they just help our republic and wait for the election. All of these are political in nature," Dayanghirang said.
"As far as Davao City where we came from where the president came from, these people does not deserve any accolades or respect because they are destroying the institution," Dayanghirang added.
The declaration will be sent to Filipinos in the US and to all embassies, with the attachment of records of crime index and the development of the city, Dayanghirang said.
Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag on Tuesday pushed to declare Trillanes persona non grata (unwelcome person) for spreading the false claim that Davao City is the most dangerous city in the country.
The senator has been claiming that Davao City is "number one in murder, number two in rape and Davao City is the most dangerous city of the Philippines" in his talks abroad.
"Declaring the city is the most dangerous city in the Philippines is not acceptable! This is an insult to the 1.6 million Dabawenyos who are working hard every day to make our city safe," Al-ag said in his speech.
Al-ag also condemned the senator's description of Dabawenyos saying that they were just "brainwashed" by the Dutertes in believing that Davao is the safest city in the world.
He said that such statement is a "mockery" to Dabawenyos intelligence. Al-ag added that Trillanes went to United States only to portray Davao City as dangerous place, a place full of criminals, a city of murderers, and a city of rapists.
Al-ag said that Dabawenyos are furious and angry with the words and actions of the senator and he is unwelcome in the city.
"Mr. Trillanes, we do not need you here in Davao City. You are unwelcome and unwanted in our city of Davao. You have not done anything good at all to our city," he said.
The vice mayor cited that the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) given to the city signed by then Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) Mar Roxas would disprove the report of the statistics of the Philippine National Police in 2015 that became basis of Trillanes' declaration.
"We even received five million pesos cash reward from DILG as part of the award. During the awarding ceremony, the DILG said, ‘To win the SGLG the nominee must follow the three plus one principle where it should pass all the three core assessment areas. Among the assessment areas are peace and order, business friendliness, and competitiveness and environmental management.’ Let us remember that PNP is under the jurisdiction of the DILG," Al-ag added.
He also said Senator Trillanes will not succeed in destroying the city, in destroying Dabawenyos and President Rodrigo Duterte.
At the end of his speech, Al-ag challenged the Filipinos in Chicago who attended the forum of the senator to come and visit Davao City.
"Try riding our taxis, our jeepneys... try walking in our streets in the middle of the night, try eating in our restaurants and karenderias, try going to our police stations. And if you will feel even an iota of danger, if you feel and think that Davao is a city of murderers and rapists as what Mr. Trillanes declared, I will refund all your travel expenses plus pocket money going back to Chicago," he said.
Meanwhile, Davao City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang also moved to also declare New York-based resident Loida Nicolas persona non grata.
"She is also one of the plotters against the republic by instigating an investigation to International Criminal Court, the point here is, instead of destroying the republic outside of the country why would they just help our republic and wait for the election. All of these are political in nature," Dayanghirang said.
"As far as Davao City where we came from where the president came from, these people does not deserve any accolades or respect because they are destroying the institution," Dayanghirang added.
The declaration will be sent to Filipinos in the US and to all embassies, with the attachment of records of crime index and the development of the city, Dayanghirang said.
very well said, apir!