SoNA protest rallies allowed
Police officials said they would not hesitate to use water cannons on protesters who would resort to violence or disrupt public order.
Militant organizations would be allowed to conduct protest activities near the Batasang Pambansa on Monday, but only from 9 a.m. to noontime, hours before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos delivers his first State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Monday.
This came about as the Quezon City government said it would review an application by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) for a permit to hold a protest rally along Batasan Road.
Mayor Joy Belmonte said she has ordered a revisiting of the Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety (QC-DPOS) decision to deny Bayan a permit to congregate around the Batasan area.
“I have instructed the (QC-DPOS) to carefully review the counter-points that were presented, and to determine if there are any possible accommodations or middle ground that they can agree upon,” Belmonte said in a statement.
“The same will also be applied to all rally permits that are currently with the DPOS,” she added.
The mayor, who is presently abroad for a summit, said the denial of the sought-for rally permit was brought to her attention by some sectors. “Rest assured, all these shall be discussed during our final SoNA coordination meeting, which will happen today,” Belmonte added.
QC-DPOS head Elmo San Diego has revealed that the QC Police District (QCPD) recommended the denial of the rally permit in line with the position of the Philippine National Police that protest actions should only be allowed in three so-called freedom parks.
Those freedom parks are those inside the University of the Philippines-Diliman and Commission on Human Rights compounds, and at the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
Off limits
All mass actions had been prohibited along Batasan Road and Commonwealth Avenue to ensure the normal flow of vehicular traffic, according to the PNP which threatened to disperse all unauthorized mass congregations.
Earlier, police officials said they would not hesitate using water cannons on protesters who would resort to violence or disrupt public order.
Renato Reyes Jr., Bayan secretary general, said the permit denial violates the law and constitutional rights of the people, adding the QC-DPOS, “did not exercise its own judgment and independent evaluation of the facts.”
He said while they have appealed the permit denial, they would push through with their protest actions with or without a permit.
“We have presented the grounds as to why the denial of the permit was not in accordance with the law, and we insisted that we have the right to hold a protest rally peacefully in order to express the issues of our countrymen on SoNA day,” Reyes said in Filipino.
“Earlier there was a meeting held between the group and QC local government unit. We hope today that the permit will be issued for the protest that will take place on Monday,” he added.
Gun ban starts
The Bayan official said they are discussing the final venue of the protest rally with the local government unit.
Meanwhile, the nearly weeklong gun ban that had been put in place to ensure security during the SoNA. It will run until 27 July.
The suspension of the permit to carry firearms outside of residence (PTCFOR) came with the activation of the Task Force Manila Shield and the deployment of nearly 20,000 police officers and force multipliers for the event at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
“We are asking for understanding from the public for the implementation of the strict security measures in Metro Manila starting today,” P/Maj. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, the PNP director for operations, said.
“These security measures are necessary to ensure the safety of everyone, especially since our Commander-in-Chief, President Bongbong Marcos, will discuss his plans for the country on Monday,” De Leon added.