Bayan says anti-Duterte SONA rally peaceful, blames QCPD for delay

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Monday said the anti-administration protest action of progressive groups ended peacefully on the day of President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

In a statement, Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. blamed the Quezon City Police District (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 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.

GMA News Online sought the side of the QCPD but has yet to receive their statement on the matter.

According to Reyes, the protesters refused to follow the narrow pathways the police created and asserted to stick with the agreement.

“Only then did the PNP remove the blockades and allowed the protesters through,” he said.

Around 6,000 to 7,000 protesters from different groups participated in the activity along Commonwealth Avenue, which Reyes said was the first big march in the area since 2020. 

They first converged at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus.

The “Duter-tuko” mural, which depicts Duterte holding on to power, with some 50 "Wakasan Na!" comiks covers were also paraded down the avenue.

“After today, we are more than ever determined to see the end of the Duterte regime, and to frustrate its evil plan of putting up a dynasty in Malacanang. Wakasanna!” Reyes said.

Duterte will deliver his sixth and final SONA on Monday afternoon with the country still battling the COVID-19 pandemic, now made worse by the more infectious Delta variant. —KG, GMA News