VICE President Sara Z. Duterte urged Filipinos to move away from motorcades and vehicle caravans as a form of protest and celebration.
Citing rising fuel costs, environmental degradation, and public inconvenience, the Vice President is calling for a permanent ban on such activities nationwide in an appeal written on Tuesday, March 3.
In her statement, Duterte highlighted that the recent surge in fuel prices has made vehicle-based demonstrations financially burdensome. She also pointed to the “serious concerns” regarding air and noise pollution generated by these events.
“These events not only lead to higher fuel costs but also worsen air pollution and increase traffic congestion, causing significant inconvenience to everyone,” Duterte said.
Most notably, the Vice President urged local government units to implement permanent bans on motorcades and parades for political protests and rallies, festivals and local celebrations, and commemorative parades.
While acknowledging the current political climate—specifically mentioning those expressing “anger against the administration” or showing “support to Former President Rodrigo Duterte”—the Vice President argued that the method of expression must evolve.
She said that while the public has the right to protest what she termed as the “failures of government administration,” these efforts should not come at the cost of public efficiency or environmental health.
Instead, Duterte asked the public and the government to refocus their energy on the potential loss of jobs for returning overseas Filipino workers and managing the sharp increase in the cost of food and essential commodities.
