DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed on Thursday, Sept. 18, that 100 cattle will be slaughtered as part of the “Pray for the Philippines” gathering on Sept. 21 at Rizal Park on San Pedro St. here.
The Vice President said the event would combine prayers and political messages, with intercessions focused on the country’s situation and former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court.
She likened the ritual to the biblical act of marking doors for protection from plagues, saying the cattle offering represents Davao’s collective prayer for deliverance and blessing.
“As announced, everyone is invited. We have prepared 100 cattle as our sacrifice,” Vice President Duterte said.
The “Pray for the Philippines” event will start at 3 p.m. It will feature prayer leaders and speakers calling for divine intervention for national peace, prosperity, and the release of the Duterte patriarch from ICC.
Organizers urged participants to gather in prayer and celebration. “Let us gather, pray, and feast on 100 roasted cattle,” they said.
The event is open to all peace-loving Filipinos, with participants encouraged to wear green, black, or Duterte-themed shirts, and to bring water in clear tumblers.
It will be livestreamed for audiences abroad. Security rules ban backpacks and jackets, children under 12 are discouraged from joining, and no donations will be accepted.
Vice President Duterte thanked Filipinos for their prayers and support for the Office of the Vice President. She emphasized that people’s prayers are the reason for the positive developments in the OVP.
The Vice President extended her family’s appreciation for the prayers offered for former President Duterte’s legal battle. “I believe those prayers greatly help in the case, its dismissal, and his eventual freedom.”
The Davao City Council authorized on Tuesday, Sept. 16, the temporary closure of several major streets in the downtown area to give way to the event.
Traffic rerouting will start at 1 a.m. on Sept. 21 and remain effective until 1 a.m. the next day on San Pedro St. from C.M. Recto to San Pedro, Rizal to Bolton, and C. Bangoy St. from Rizal to Bangoy.
In a request addressed to acting Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte II, event organizers said the road closure was necessary to secure participants and ensure the orderly flow of the gathering.
City Transport and Traffic Management Office head Dionisio Abude said early closure is needed to set up barricades and other facilities. They will also deploy 80 enforcers to manage heavy traffic in the affected areas.
Under the rerouting plan, CTTMO will divert motorists to Rizal and Anda and then to San Pedro. If congestion occurs on Rizal, they will redirect the vehicles through Bonifacio and Anda before returning to San Pedro.
Public Safety and Security Office head Angel Sumagaysay announced that around 500 personnel will be mobilized for the event, aside from police and other security units.