By CESAR JOLITO III

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson clarified yesterday that the temporary closure of the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon during the Trillion Peso March on Sunday, September 21, was meant to enforce park rules that prohibit political and religious gatherings inside the premises.

Lacson said the province received no formal request from the rally organizers to use the lagoon as a venue for assembly.

According to him, information relayed to the Capitol indicated that the rally would be staged outside the park.

“We only got information that there would be a gathering outside the lagoon for the rally,” Lacson said, adding that the park’s ordinance clearly restricts political or religious rallies within its grounds.

He explained that he instructed staff to carry out maintenance work during the closure.

The governor also addressed questions raised by protesters over why Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) was able to hold a peace rally at the lagoon last January.

He explained that the INC event was only known to the Capitol through news reports, not by any official request.

“The recent incident had no notice. We only heard from the news that there would be a rally,” he said, noting that the lack of formal communication may have contributed to the situation.

Lacson stressed that the closure was not intended to suppress public assembly but to ensure compliance with park regulations./CJ, WDJ