Online, street protests in Cebu mark hours before Pres. Duterte’s 5th SONA
LOOK: Members of BAYAN-Central Visayas on Monday, July 27, 2020, stage a SONA protest-rally in front of the ABS-CBN Central Visayas compound in Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City. | Photos from BAYAN-Central Visayas video
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Various progressive groups in Cebu took to the streets and social media in conducting pre-SONA (State of the Nation Address) protests on Monday morning, July 27, 2020.
Members of the Bagong Alyansa Makabayan – Central Visayas (BAYAN-Central Visayas) staged a protest-rally in front of the ABS-CBN Central Visayas compound in Barangay Jagobiao, Mandaue City, calling out the government for prioritizing the Anti-Terror Law, and shutting down the media giant.
“We chose to conduct our rally in front of ABS-CBN to symbolize the attack against press freedom orchestrated by Duterte’s cronies in Congress,” said John Ruiz, BAYAN-Central Visayas coordinator.
The group also condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration on its failure to respond accordingly to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
“In the true state of the nation, we are aware that the Duterte administration took advantage of the pandemic to silence its critics,” said Ruiz in Cebuano.
They also requested local officials to prioritize addressing concerns related to the public health emergency such as increasing wages of health workers, and the capacity of state-run hospitals.
Meanwhile, BAYAN-Central Visayas also streamed online protests being conducted by their affiliate groups from other parts of the region. Among those who participated were groups of farmers, youth activists and leaders, and jeepney drivers. /bmjo
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