Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte assured all presidential candidates from all political parties that they are welcome to hold events and activities in the city.
“It is part of my duty and mandate as their Mayor to allow QCitizens to make an informed and impartial choice for their leaders," Belmonte said in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 13.
"We know that Quezon City is a preferred venue for national candidates to hold rallies, as we have many ideal locations to hold these events. In this regard, we are an open city, so that our constituents can learn as much as they can about the candidates who visit us," she added.
Belmonte is not affiliated with any national political party and has not publicly endorsed any presidential candidate, but she has received nearly all of them warmly during courtesy calls.
“Each of the presidentiables brings something unique and admirable to the position they are seeking. As a locally elected official, I am always privileged to welcome them to the city, and give them an equal chance to engage our approximately 1.4 million voters,” she said.
The city mayor reiterated that event organizers must comply with the city guidelines amid the pandemic.
“Being an open city, we would just like to remind all rally organizers to coordinate in advance with our LGU, so that we may provide them with the best assistance and manpower for their events,"she said.
“Let us also remember that, although NCR is currently under the more moderate Alert Level 2, our country is still in the midst of a pandemic. Safety still has to be the top priority,” she added.
Presidential candidates Isko Moreno, Manny Pacquiao, Ping Lacson, Sara Duterte and their respective running mates have likewise held campaign activities in Quezon City, which were all preceded by courtesy visits by the candidates to Belmonte.
On Feb. 13, thousands of supporters gathered for what was termed as the "Pink Sunday" rally of Vice President Leni Robredo, which caused crowds to overspill into large areas surrounding the Quezon Memorial Circle.