Rallyists to troop to UP Diliman on SONA Day

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. on Saturday said rallyists will converge at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus on Monday to stage their protest action on the day President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

"Ulitin natin ito sa July27? All roads lead to UP Diliman, 10am to 12nn para sa #SONAgKAISA rally para sa #JunkTerrorLaw, #IbalikAngABSCBN, #TulongHindiKulong, #AtinAngPinas, at #BalikPasada . Makatarungan ang magprotesta sa SONA. Kita-kits!" Reyes said in a tweet.

In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Saturday, Reyes said he and his group do not understand why they were not allowed to stage a protest action on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Monday. 

Commonwealth Avenue is the main highway leading to Batasang Pambansa, where Duterte is scheduled to deliver his SONA.

"Hindi namin maintindihan kung bakit ipinagbawal ang pagsasagawa ng kilos-protesta sa Commonwealth Avenue," Reyes said.

He added that they have already done their ocular inspection on Commonwealth Avenue.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Major General Debold Sinas on Friday said they received new guidelines from the Department of the Interior and Local Government on Thursday about the ban on gatherings during SONA.

Sinas shared the DILG's memorandum to reporters, stating that "The Inter-Agency Task Force strongly reiterates that mass gatherings, such as, but not limited to movie screenings, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies, and non-essential work gatherings, are prohibited subject only to very limited exceptions stated in Section 4, Paragraph 12 of the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines, as amended."

Asked if this means that rally is banned along Commonwealth during the SONA, Sinas said: "Kung doon talaga, bawal. Doon sa UP, kasi sa UP may sarili silang set-up doon, we'll just be negotiating sa administration doon."

"Ang guidance ni chief PNP sa kanila is as long as you don't violate and don't get out of UP compound, okay lang po," he added.

Reyes on Saturday said it is good that they have been allowed to stage a rally inside UP on Monday.

"Malaking tulong po 'yung pinayagan kaming makapag-protesta sa loob ng U.P.," he said.

Meanwhile, the annual burning of the President's effigy on Commonwealth Avenue will take place online.

The Commission on Human Rights on Saturday said it will deploy teams on Monday to “monitor the situation on the field.” —KG, GMA News