Pro-admin rallyists expect Duterte to tackle counter-terrorism, hit progressive groups

Liga Independencia Pilipinas on Monday said the group is expecting that President Rodrigo Duterte will discuss the modernization program of the military in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In a statement, Liga Independencia Pilipinas secretary-general Jose Antonio "Ka Pep" Goitia said Duterte should also present the result of the government’s counter-terrorism efforts.

"The President should speak about the ongoing AFP modernization program and its implications for defending our sovereignty against internal and external threats,” he said.

“What military equipment we have acquired thus far, and what the next phase of the program would entail," he added.

Liga Independencia Pilipinas and the League of the Parents of the Philippines organized a pro-Duterte rally on the day of the SONA to condemn groups and party-lists allegedly linked to the “terrorist” group Communist Party of the Philippines.

As of 1:20PM, mga pro-Duterte, nasa bahagi na ng Mendiola. | via @dzbbsamnielsen pic.twitter.com/ssy0rklwm5

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 26, 2021

In a joint statement, the groups said they appealed to Duterte to allow her daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte to run for president in 2022.

The pro-Duterte rallyists called on the leadership of Congress to “expel” and the Commission on Elections to delist the progressive party-list groups.

These include Anakbayan, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Bayan Muna, Kabataan, Gabriela, ACT, and the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives.

During the protest action, the groups burned an effigy of CPP founding chairperson Jose Maria Sison and some of the party-list leaders.

The rallyists marched to Morayta at 1 p.m.and Mendiola at 2 p.m. in Manila.

Liga Independencia Pilipinas and the League of the Parents lauded Duterte and his administration for “curbing corruption,” infrastructure projects, and counter-terrorism efforts.

"The success of the nationwide infrastructure development plan “Build Build, Build,” the primary goals of which are to encourage investments and stimulate socioeconomic growth across all sectors of society. 6.5 million jobs have also been created as a result of this project," Goitia said.

He said that according to National Economic Development and Authority (NEDA), Duterte's fiscal prudence policy and push for tax reforms enabled us to achieve the highest revenue-to-GDP ratio of 16.1 percent and the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio of 39.6 percent in 2019.

"We were able to obtain an unprecedented upgrade in our credit rating, allowing us to access funds for our priority programs at reduced rates and on favorable terms," he said.

“The solution to conflict should not be limited to military approach but more on political and socio-economic services,” the groups said.—AOL, GMA News