Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to address the complaints of netizens regarding the "videoke" performance of some police officers while progressive groups were holding a program along Commonwealth Avenue, hours before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24.
Farmers, students and members of different sectors from Southern Tagalog, under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), staged a protest rally along Commonwealth Ave. early Monday morning, calling on the President and the national government to act on human rights violations and other social concerns.
Over 7,000 security, traffic and emergency personnel from the city government, local police, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Philippine National Police (PNP) were deployed in different strategic areas to maintain peace and order while the activities prior to the SONA were being conducted.
(Photo by Aaron Homer Dioquino/ MANILA BULLETIN)
However, some police officers held a live performance inside a police truck while the program of the group was ongoing.
Some netizens shared the video of singing law enforcers on social media, tagging the Quezon City Police District (QCPD). They said the incident was a show of disrespect to the militant groups.
Quezon City Mayor Belmonte responded to the posts and took immediately action.
“Nakarating sa tanggapan ni Mayor Joy Belmonte ang inyong concern ukol sa mga pulis na nag-vi-videoke habang naglulunsad ng programa ang mga magsasaka at kabataan mula sa Southern Tagalog (Your concern about the police who were singing while the farmers and youth from Southern Tagalog were launching a program reached the office of Mayor Joy Belmonte)," the city government said.
It said that after conducting an investigation, they learned that the police officers involved in the incident were from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), from the QCPD.
“Ang inyong concern ay aming ipinahatid na sa PNP upang maaksyunan, at masigurado na magiging malaya at mapayapa ang pagpapahayag ng mga raliyista sa kanilang mga hinaing (We have raised your concern to the PNP for action, and to ensure that the rallyists will be free to express their grievances),” it added.
Belmonte earlier expressed support to free speech, saying that the city values the right of everyone to peaceful assembly as protected by the Constitution.
Militant groups and supporters of the current administration were both allowed by the city government to gather along the Commonwealth Avenue hours before the President's SONA at the Batasang Pambansa Complex.