Vice President Leni Robredo and her daughters attend the Misa ng Pagkakaisa at Pasasalamat at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral on May 10, 2022. The mass is officiated by Archbishop Rolando Tirona. VP Leni Media Bureau
MANILA (UPDATE) — Vice President Leni Robredo will meet her supporters at the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on Friday, her spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said Thursday.
In a Twitter post, Gutierrez announced that the venue for Robredo's thanksgiving gathering would instead be held at the Ateneo after the Quezon City government refused to issue a permit for the event to take place at the Quezon Memorial Circle.
"Bagamat ikinalulungkot namin ito, iginagalang namin ang pasya ng lokal na pamahalaan," Gutierrez said.
(While we are saddened by this, we respect the decision of the local government.)
In a statement, the Quezon City government said the Quezon Memorial Circle was "not an ideal venue" for the event, citing problems it could pose for motorists and commuters.
"The presence of an enormous crowd (without the benefit of a previously-arranged crowd control plan) on a weekday would cause massive traffic jams, countless stranded commuters, and a significant risk to overall public safety," it said, explaining why it rejected to give the permit.
A large crowd is also expected on a "payday Friday," Mayor Joy Belmonte told ANC's Headstart.
"They did point out the Ateneo was an alternative venue for them. We'll provide you traffic support there rather than the circle," she said.
Friday's event will be held for Robredo's supporters, who fervently campaigned for her presidential bid in the recently concluded May 9 elections.
Ateneo's university president, Fr. Roberto Yap, also supported Robredo's presidential run.
An independent candidate, Robredo relied on a largely volunteer-driven campaign that saw hundreds of thousands flock to her rallies.
Robredo is at second place of the presidential race with more than 14.8 million votes, according to the Commission on Election's partial and unofficial tally as of Thursday afternoon.
Former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos remains the frontrunner with over 31.1 million votes, based on 98 percent of election returns transmitted.
Visit the ABS-CBN News Halalan results page to see the partial unofficial tally of election returns.
— With a report from Erik Tenedero, ABS-CBN News