CEBU CITY – Militant groups held a protest rally in this city before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his State-of-the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 24.
During the rally, the protesters gave the President a failing mark in his first year in office.
MILITANT groups rally in Cebu City before the State-of-the-Nation Address of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday, July 24. (Calvin D. Cordova)
Howell Villacrucis, secretary general of Alyansang Mamumuo sa Sugbo (Cebu), said that for them, Marcos failed to uplift the lives of Filipinos.
“Our grade for him is failure. It is not from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan but it is from all the alliances joining in this protest,” Villacrucis said.
The rally was attended by at least 600 protesters coming from different sectoral groups that included drivers, urban poor residents, vendors, women's groups, and students, mostly affiliated with the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Central Visayas.
The protestors carried tarpaulins with words “Bigong Pilipinas,” a play up of Marcos’ campaign slogan “Bagong Pilipinas.”
“He did not solve the problems affecting the Filipinos. He prioritized foreign travels supposedly to secure investments but the crisis continues,” Villacrusis said.
Bayan Central Visayas chairman Jaime Paglinawan said they gave Marcos a grade of two with 10 as the highest.
Issues on housing, Maharlika Fund, agriculture, jeepney modernization, red tagging, and workers’ welfare were tackled during the rally.
Police Major Efren Diaz Jr., chief of the Cebu City Police Office Watrerfront Police Station, said they allowed the protestors to hold their program even if they didn’t have a permit.
Police gave the protesters 15 minutes to hold their activity.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare said the protestors were cooperative and the police saw no security threats during the entire protest.
Pelare said the law requires the protestors to secure a permit from the local government unit when holding such activity.
"But of course, we need to weigh things with the freedom of expression also. So long as there is no chaos, there is no violation of law, we will not interfere in the conduct of their protest rally,” said Pelare, who is the spokesperson of Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, chief of the Police Regional Office-Central Visayas.