People’s SONA to push through amid pandemic

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

 

Various cause-oriented groups will ask the Iloilo City government to allow them to hold protest rallies when President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, 2020.

SONAgkaisa, the organizers of the People’s SONA, will meet Mayor Jerry Treñas today, July 23, to discuss their plans to hold the protest action amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Monsignor Meliton Oso of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC), said they will push through with the rally even if he is the only one present.

“Bisan ako na lang isa, fight! Makadto ako. But as to the number of participants, I assure you we are more than 10,” Oso said in a press conference Wednesday.

Oso said while they respect and follow health protocols such as physical distancing and wearing of masks, these should not discourage people from exercising their rights to free expression and to petition the government for redress of grievances.

Siegfred Deduro of Makabayan Coalition said their agenda is to raise awareness on the much-maligned Anti-Terror Law, the adverse effects of the denial of a fresh franchise to ABS-CBN, aid from the national government amid the pandemic, medical solutions to the health crisis, red-tagging of activists and academic personalities, among other issues.

Deduro cited the case of the Quezon City government which will allow protest actions on Monday provided the organizers follow health protocols.

Earlier, the PNP discouraged mass protest actions during the SONA amid the health crisis.

“The local government should follow Quezon City where people will be free to express themselves. We ask the Iloilo City government under Mayor Jerry Trenas to respect our right to free expression,” he added.

BAYAN Panay spokesperson Elmer Forro told Daily Guardian they believe that the people have been “fed up” with the Duterte administration, and the event will be their opportunity to speak up.

“For us, the people have had enough. We need to stand up and defend our rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the negligence the incapacity of our government to lead, and has been used to railroad the Anti-Terror Act, to shut down ABS-CBN, to push for Charter Change, and the deepening crisis of poverty and loss of livelihood of the people. We don’t see the responsibility taken by the government,” Forro said.

Forro made an assurance that they will follow minimum health standards during the rally to avoid the risk of contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

“We will ensure minimum health requirements like [wearing of face mask], physical distancing, and use of disinfectants,” he said.

He said that the groups are expecting that the Iloilo City government will guarantee freedom of expression during the activity.

“We will still meet with Mayor Jerry Treñas [today] and we believe that he will respect the freedom of expression which is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights enshrined in our Constitution,” Forro said.

The initial plan of the group is to gather at Sunburst Park in downtown Iloilo City then march to the provincial capitol area.

SONAgkaisa is composed of JASAC, Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response, Sisters from Alliance of Consecrated Women of Iloilo, Ang Dios Gugma, Kabataan Patylist, Anakbayan Panay, Kaisog, Pamanggas, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, PISTON, Panayanons Against Terror Act, Movement Against Tyranny, All U.P. Academic Employees Union, Liberal Party Iloilo, Akbayan, Kaya Natin!, Samahang Magdalo, SENTRO, Partido ng Manggagawa, National Union of People’s Lawyers, and BAYAN Panay.

In a statement, SONAgkaisa said it is time to rise up against the government’s alleged violations of human rights.

“The current economic and political crisis has brought too much sufferings to our people. The government has used the COVID-19 pandemic to further equip state forces in suppressing people’s democratic and constitutional rights and freedom by passing into law the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and not giving the franchise of ABS-CBN Network. The government has also turned deaf and blind to people’s clamor for comprehensive medical and health measures to address the pandemic and not the militaristic way of solving the health crisis. With this, we have gathered our strength into SONAgkaisa to put forward people’s demands and their fight against the fascist, traitorous, corrupt and repressive Duterte regime.”