Delay in SONA protesters’ march due to narrowing road, QCPD says amid blame

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Wednesday said the delay experienced by protesters marching on Commonwealth Avenue during President Rodrigo Duterte's State of the Nation Address on Monday was due to a '"narrowing" in the area.

In a press conference, QCPD director Police Brigadier General Antonio Yarra made the statement after protesters blamed the police for the delay in their activity.

“Kapag pumunta kayo doon sa area, nagna-narrow down yung area. So pag-a-approach…kumipot yung daan ng kalsada and the protesters occupied the entire Commonwealth area,” he said.

[If you check the area, it narrows. When the protesters approached, the road narrowed and they occupied the entire Commonwealth area.]

He said that the police were just trying to ensure that at least two lanes of the avenue were still passable for motorists.

The QCPD chief said this was reported to him by the concerned sub-security task group in the area during the SONA.

On Tuesday, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte asked Yarra to submit a written explanation after protesters were allegedly blocked from marching on Monday by orange barriers.

Earlier, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. blamed the QCPD for the delay in the activity.

“Despite threats of rain and incidents of vehicles being blocked, today’s protest to mark the last SONA of Rodrigo Duterte ended peacefully at around 1:30 p.m.,” Reyes said.

“The delay was due to the QCPD setting up orange barriers along the Commonwealth and a police blockade that violated the earlier agreement with the QC Mayor,” he added.

Reyes said the QCPD acted in bad faith and wanted to control the march. — BM, GMA News