Militants start protests vs. govt ‘negligence’ 1 year after Yolanda

On the eve of the first anniversary of super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), militants staged mass actions in Tacloban City – one of the areas hit hardest by Yolanda – to protest what they called government inaction.

Photos posted by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr. showed students walking out of the University of the Philippines Tacloban campus to take part in the protest.

Reyes said the students, who brought umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat, protested President Benigno Aquino III's "neglect one year after Haiyan."

UP Tacloban students walk out to protest Aquino neglect 1 yr after Haiyan pic.twitter.com/B70W6IObRs

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) November 7, 2014

Other survivors of Yolanda took part in a fluvial protest from Basey in Samar to Tacloban City.

Fluvial protest from Basey, Samar arrives in Tacloban for Haiyan/Yolanda anniv #rememberhaiyan pic.twitter.com/WpSik97m1D

— Renato Reyes, Jr. (@natoreyes) November 7, 2014

The fluvial protest participants arrived in Tacloban before 10 a.m.

Bayan, in an earlier press release, had said militants had organized an "International Day of Action" to mark the first anniversary of Yolanda.

Yolanda slammed into the Visayas on Nov. 8 last year, devastating the Visayas and southern Luzon and leaving more than 6,000 dead in its wake.

International day of protest

Bayan said an "international day of solidarity and national day of action" has been set for Saturday, in areas hit hardest by Yolanda.

In Tacloban City, groups will hold two days of protests November 7 and 8.

"Mass actions are also being readied in the provinces of Roxas, Aklan and Northern Iloilo which were also badly hit by the super typhoon," it said.

"Gatherings are also being organized by Filipino communities and solidarity groups in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong and across Europe," it added. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News