DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 July) – Militant groups here will mount simultaneous protest actions and a “SONA sa Katawhan” on Monday, hours before President Benigno Simeon Aquino III delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.
Nine protest actions will be staged simultaneously in front of government offices from 8 to 10 a.m., From there, the groups will proceed to the “SONA sa Katawhan” (People’s SONA) which will start at 10 a.m. at the Rizal Park.
The protesters are urging the public to “Rage Against Poverty, Corruption, State Fascism And Us-Imperialist Plunder!”
Barug Katawhan-Pablo Survivors will picket the Departmetn of Social Welfare and Development; Karapatan and Kasaka Agusan will stage a protest action in front of the Commission on Human Rights on the extrajudicial killings and harassment;
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas-Southern Mindanao Region will picket the Department of Agriculture while Gabriela Women’s Party and Kadamay will picket the Department of Trade and Industry;
A protest action will also be held in front of the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau, to be led by Humawac, on the issue of “killings and mining;” at the Land Transportation Office by Transmission Piston, on the oil price increases; at the Commission on Higher Education by Anakbayan on tuition increases; and at the Department of Labor and Employment by the Kilusang Mayo Uno.
Makabayan will also stage a rally at the Freedom Park.
The groups will converge at the Freedom Park at 10 a.
m. and march to Rizal Park for the “SONA sa Katawhan” where KMU Mindanao’s Joel Maglungsod will deliver a speech; Sambayan will present a “dance theater with effigy burning.”
Jurie Jaime of PCPR and Aya Ragragio of Pagbabago will speak on the “worsening corruption;” Don Paguasar of Patriyotiko Mindanao and Angelyn Alapag will talk on “imperialist plunde;” Hanimay Suazo of Karapatan will disccus the state of human rights and peace talks while Salugpongan Tatanu Igkanogon, Barug Katawhan and Pasaka will talk about militarization.
The same groups also staged a picket outside the Eastern Mindanao Command on Sunday.
The protesters include farmers, Lumads (indigenous peoples) from Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, Agusan, Arakan in North Cotabato, Paquibato in Davao City who allegedly fell victimot “state fascism and Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan” City.
(MindaNews)
