Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday urged Filipinos to unite and join the first-ever “SONAgkaisa” nationwide protest rally which they are planning to hold before and during President Duterte’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SoNA) on July 27.
Sereno said she will join other groups critical of the Duterte administration in the rally to heavily voice their opposition to the signing of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, the government’s pivot to China, the thousand of violent deaths in the Philippines, the mishandling of the Taal Volcano eruption, and the State’s disastrous handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
“It’s time to pursue, together with the people, a just and humane society,” Sereno said during the SONAgkaisa online press conference on Facebook.
“I repeat my message today: Come, let us all unite and return to the good,” said the former Chief Justice.
“The President has abandoned science, reason, and God. Now, look where it has all brought us -- death, despair, and destruction of the economy, as well as the violation of human dignity.
“This government treats human beings as if they are not (made) in the image of God,” she lamented.
Sereno urged the public to learn how to distinguish support for the government for the common good and from idolatry of a strong man “who cannot save us, but who can only lead us downhill.”
“To us believers, only God saves not man…Scripture tells us that God builds his throne on justice and righteousness with loving kindness,” she said.
She urged lawyers to hold on to their oath of defending the poor and the weak.
“This is the time when the oath must be specially kept. There is hope for our country. We cannot give up fighting for what is right, what is just, what is true,” Sereno said.
Among those who have signified their support and participation to the rally are opposition Senators Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima, Francis Pangilinan, party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, Sister Mary John Mananzan, lawyer Chel Diokno, and Bishop Broderick Pabillo.
Those who have signified their plan to join the protest rally include the Green Thumb Coalition, Karapatan, Migrante, National Confederation of Transport Workers’ Union (Transport), Akbayan, Movement vs. Anti-Terrorism (MATA), ABS-CBN Union, and other human rights defenders, transport groups, children’s rights defenders, LGBT, labor and youth groups.
Rep. Sarah Elago of the Kabataan party-list said they will also join the protest rally in solidarity with the people. She also said the group will hold its own State-of-the-Youth Address to renew their call on the government for better health policies, freedom, and to uphold the country’s sovereignty.
ABS-CBN employees will also join the noise barrage to support the embattled network whose application for a fresh 25-year franchise was denied by the House Committee on Legislative Franchises.
Transport coalitions also said they will join the rally to urge the government to stop phasing traditional jeepneys.