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Duterte to cancel Kadayawan Festival?

Karlos Manlupig

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Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is thinking about canceling this year’s Kadayawan Festival if he will be able to confirm that there is a threat in the city

NO KADAYAWAN? Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte might cancel the festival over security concerns. In this file photo, women perform during the 2012 Kadayawan Festival. File photo Rappler/Karlos Manlupig

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – After the series of bombings in Central Mindanao, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is thinking about canceling this year’s Kadayawan Festival if he will be able to confirm that there is a threat in the city.

Duterte said he would announce his final decision on August 13.

“Prudence would tell me that as mayor I have to assess and evaluate and re-asses and re-evaluate and re-evaluate and assess the various intelligence reports. I am putting myself on the spot and I will decide by August 13 if we will proceed with the Kadayawan,” Duterte said.

The annual festival is held on the third week of August.

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“If I feel in my gut that there is really danger and will place in danger human lives and property I might just scrap the whole festival,” he added.

Duterte said the festivities would only push through if the probability of safety will be 7.5 from the scale of 1-10, where 10 is the safest.

“If it’s 7.5, let’s go ahead and celebrate Kadayawan. Short of that standard, we’ll go home and sleep early,” he said.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. File photo by Rappler/Karlos Manlupig

The festival, which is being celebrated during the month of August, is a thanksgiving for the year’s abundant harvest. It is famous for its street dancing and floral float parade.

“This is a celebration primarily to give honor to the Muslims of Mindanao and to the Lumads to whom this land rightfully belongs. They are the first inhabitants here. We Christians settled much much later. We are not natives here,” Duterte said.

READ: Rebels bomb bridge in Maguindanao

READ: Aquino vows arrests as Cotabato blast toll rises

Duterte said he was alarmed over the recent terror events not only in the country but also across the globe.

“We are worried about the bombing incidents all over the world. There is a threat not only in Davao City but a threat that even caused the closure of embassies and consulates American and western all over the world. Davao City is not an exemption,” Duterte said.

Duterte said that there was an alert by Western countries 2 months ago warning their citizens about traveling in Mindanao.

The targets identified, he said, were Davao City, Zamboanga City, General Santos City and Cotabato City.

He clarified that he is not thinking about canceling the festivities because he is afraid but because he does not want to put in peril the lives of the people.

Kung may mamatay man dito ang dapat mauna ako,” Duterte said. – Rappler.com

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