LOOK: Tensions rise between protesters, police ahead of SONA 2026

Tension rose between a progressive group and the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) regarding the space to hold a protest at Philcoa, Quezon City ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

According to Super Radyo dzBB's Mark Makalalad, members of BAYAN Southern Tagalog arrived at 7 a.m. and occupied two lanes for their program.

During the program protesters destroyed effigies of President Marcos, Vice President Sara Duterte, and US President Donald Trump.

Tension, however, rose after protesters went beyond their designated are as they started occupying the third lane as the QCPD had to form a barricade.

The QCPD added that BAYAN Southern Tagalog does not have a permit to hold rally, the report said.

In a video, one of the protesters told a QCPD personnel that the cops were pushing them outside. But the police personnel noted that they should stay within their designated area for their protest.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday deployed 20,000 personnel in Quezon City for this year's SONA.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City government only permitted four groups to hold a protest along Commonwealth Avenue.

'Maximum perwisyo'

BAYAN, meanwhile, slammed the PNP's handling of the protest actions.

"Ang ginagawa ng PNP at rehimeng Marcos ay hindi 'maximum tolerance' kundi maximum perwisyo at maximum panunupil," said BAYAN president Renato Reyes in a statement.

(What the PNP and the Marcos regime are doing is not 'maximum tolerance' but maximum nuisance and maximum repression.)

"Ngayong araw ay nakaharang ang libo-libong pulis sa lansanagan,sila ang pinakamalaking perwisyo sa taumbayan dahil sa overkill security. Ang traffic congestion ay hindi dahil sa rally kundi dahil sa police deployment. Maximum perwisyo," he added.

(Today, thousands of police officers are blocking the streets; they are the biggest nuisance to the public because of the overkill security. The traffic congestion is not caused by the rally but by the police deployment. Maximum nuisance.)

Recto protest

Group KILUSAN also held a separate protest at Recto Avenue in Manila, according to Super Radyo dzBB's Manny Vargas.

On the other hand, transport group MANIBELA held another transport strike today but group president Mar Valbuena said they only wanted to listen to the president's SONA.

In the report of Super Radyo dzBB's Christian Maño, MANIBELA is pushing for the repealing of the Oil Deregulation Law and scrapping of the value added and excises taxes on fuel products. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/ VAL, GMA News