Police block protesters in Manila on Araw ng Kagitingan
Published Apr 9, 2026 08:19 am
Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) march along Kalaw Avenue in Manila to condemn US-Israel attacks on Iran and call for the removal of foreign military presence in the Philippines on Araw ng Kagitingan, April 9, 2026. (Photos taken by JL Abrina/MANILA BULLETIN)
Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) staged a protest march along Kalaw Avenue in Manila on Araw ng Kagitingan, April 9, but were blocked by lines of Manila Police District officers before they could reach the US Embassy.
Hundreds of MPD personnel were deployed along Kalaw Avenue, with barricades set up to block the march.
Carrying placards and effigies, the protesters condemned the recent US and Israel attacks on Iran and called for the removal of foreign military presence in the Philippines, tying their demonstration to broader calls for national sovereignty and public accountability.
BAYAN connected the protest to wider domestic concerns, including the ongoing oil price crisis and government spending.
In a statement released yesterday, the group criticized Congress for passing what it called a “band-aid tool for patronage and corruption.”
“Both houses of Congress should focus on alleviating the people’s suffering amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia instead of legislating band-aid measures that boost patronage,” the statement read.
The group said the recently passed bill gives only discretionary powers to the president to suspend excise taxes on fuel products, without directly addressing regressive taxes, while oil companies continue rounds of price hikes.
BAYAN also warned that as Congress deliberates yet another Bayanihan-style emergency measure, the crisis could be used again by politicians to insert more pork barrel programs while Malacañang signs anomalous contracts.
BAYAN reiterated its demands, including condemning the US-Israel acts of aggression on Iran; ending the war; pulling out US military facilities from the Philippines; removing excise tax and VAT on fuel and other basic goods; controlling oil prices; reviving the local oil industry; and abolishing all forms of pork barrel and discretionary spending, with funds realigned to provide immediate relief and social services.
“We challenge Congress to think of the plight of Filipinos today rather than their plans for the 2028 elections. It is hypocritical for the Marcos government to exhort the public to conserve energy, yet it has refused to do away with unproductive and secretive expenses like confidential funds and allocables in the national budget,” BAYAN said.
The protest, timed to coincide with Araw ng Kagitingan, highlighted the group’s call for national sovereignty and public accountability, connecting the commemoration of Filipino heroism with ongoing struggles against foreign military presence and government inaction on crises affecting ordinary Filipinos.
Authorities closely monitored the demonstration to maintain order.