Protesters call for wage hike, gov't focus on common folk problems during SONA rally

Protesters on Monday, the day of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s second State of the Nation Address, gathered at the corner of Commonwealth and Tandang Sora Avenues in Quezon City where they held a program and called for a wage hike and for the government to focus its efforts on solving common people's problems.

Progressive group Bayan's Secretary General Mong Palatino told GMA News Online that they hoped that Congress and Marcos would heed the protesters' calls.

“Dagdag sahod. Pokus sa problema ng karaniwang tao. Hindi yung pasyal na naman dahil bukas mamamasyal na naman ang Pangulo. Hindi yung Maharlika na gagamitin ang pera ng bayan para sa ibang pangangailangan,” said Palatino.

(Wage increase. Prioritize the problems of ordinary people. Not about trips again because the President will have a trip again tomorrow. Not about Maharlika which will use public funds for other needs.)

Bayan said around 10,000 protesters joined the anti-administration rallies in Quezon City.

“Lahat po ng activities sa Circle, NHA, UP, CHR hanggang dito (Tandang Sora) ang estimate po natin 10,000 people joined the People's SONA at saka mga activities since early morning hanggang ngayong 2 p.m. Kasama dyan yung mga nag-protesta sa mga regions,” added Palatino.

(Our estimate is that 10,000 people joined the People’s SONA and other activities early in the morning until 2 p.m. including the protests in regions.)

Around 50 organizations joined the protests.

Progressive groups stage a protest in Tandang Sora, Quezon City on the day of President Bongbong Marcos’ second State of the Nation Address. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/t2C5tdESzK

— Joviland Rita (@jovilandxrita) July 24, 2023

Before gathering in Tandang Sora in Quezon City, different groups held separate activities in Quezon Memorial Circle, Philcoa, Commission on Human Rights, University of the Philippines, and National Housing Authorities.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said a total of 5,000 people participated in the protests in Quezon City as of 12 p.m.

Protesters also exhibited and burned effigies of Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte during the demonstration.

At Philcoa, the effigy depicting Marcos and Sara as “bootlickers” for the supposed warmongering United States was beaten up and burned.

Watch: Marcos and Sara effigy set ablaze at Bayan Southern Tagalog protest at Philcoa, Quezon City on SONA day. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/8kV3zn0SUz

— Joviland Rita (@jovilandxrita) July 24, 2023

Another Marcos effigy dubbed “Doble Kara” (two-faced) was also burned along Commonwealth Avenue. The effigy depicts Marcos as two-faced, with a "Tallano gold" coin embossed on it.

During the program in Tandang Sora, drag artists performed Taylor Swift’s “Speak Now”, ending the act holding a placard reading “Speak Now for the Truth.”

A Marcos supporter was escorted out of the area by the police after splashing water on some of the protesters during the rally.

Super Radyo dzBB's Mark Makalalad reported at 2:17 p.m. that the protesters had ended their program.

People’s #SONA2023 ng mga raliyista sa Tandang Sora Avenue, tinapos na. | via @MMakalalad pic.twitter.com/mFvNI19NGh

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) July 24, 2023

— DVM, GMA Integrated News