By ALEXANDRIA SAN JUAN,
JOSEPH PEDRAJAS,
DHEL NAZARIO
Anti- and pro-Duterte rallyists gathered in Quezon City yesterday morning to express their support and dissent to the President as he delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) in Southern Luzon brought unheard issues in their region to Metro Manila as they delivered their own “State of the Region Address” or SORA.
“This is the heart of our lakbayan. Aside from forging unities with other sectors from different regions and demonstrating collectively our force, we would like our issues and conditions made known,” Shaira Cledera of BAYAN-Timog Katagalugan said during a program near the Philippine Coconut Authority office on Commonwealth Avenue.
According to Cledera, their members travelled to various cities in Laguna and Metro Manila for four days prior to President Duterte’s SONA through a protest caravan dubbed as “Daluyong 2019.” She said they wanted to shed light on social issues usually that are unheard of by other Filipinos.
During their SORA, various sector representatives tackled concerns of their groups including contractualization, the Rice Tariffication Law, and the rising numbers of human rights violations in the region.
Workers relayed the current condition of 17 workers of Nutriasia in Cabuyao, Laguna who are still detained following a violent clash with authorities during a strike.
After the short program, rallyists burned a 10-foot tall mural called “Tres Muertes,” which depicted images of President Duterte, United States President Donald Trump, and Chinese President Xi Jinping for “causing deaths of Filipinos and their livelihoods through neo-liberal policies imposed by the administration.
Anakpawis Vice President Ariel Casilao also called for the impeachment of President Duterte for allegedly ruling against the interest of basic sectors of the society such as the workers.
Casilao said 214 peasant-activists have been killed under the President’s watch, including local leaders of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
Among the slain peasants were 20 women, 28 elderly, eight peasant-couples and nine minors, Anakpawis former nominee and Amihan Secretary General Cathy Estavillo claimed.
Meanwhile, members of “Friends of Rody Duterte (FORD),” D4 Movement for Federalism and Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee Council (MRRD-NECC) converged in front of President Corazon Aquino Elementary School along IBP Road at 10 a.m.
Farrah Ajoc, national chairperson of D4 Movement, said that they attended the pro-Duterte gathering to show their support for the President’s plan on federalism.
“We want to change the system. We are quite ready, though there are lots of critics [who] bother,” she said.
On the other hand, Rene Concordia, a member of FORD, said that their group attended the gathering to push for charter change (Cha-Cha).
“There are lots of laws that have loopholes, that’s why we support charter change,” Concordia, wearing a Barong Tagalog, said.
Some FORD members said they travelled all the way from Benguet, and left as early as 2 a.m. to arrive early for the gathering.
