BY JOSEPH PEDRAJAS
Anti-government demonstrators on Monday returned to the streets for the annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) rally, this time gathering inside the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman instead of marching along its traditional site – the Commonwealth Avenue – due to restrictions imposed by authorities.
The threat of being infected by the deadly coronavirus disease (COVID-19) did not stop the protesters from voicing out their displeasure against the government “because many are already getting angry with what’s happening,” Human Rights lawyer Chel Diokno said.
“It is important to be heard. Our faces, our mouths may be covered, but we are not silent by any means,” added activist and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary General Renato Reyes.
The program started at around 10 a.m. and ended at 12 noon with Bituin Escalante singing the iconic “Bayan Ko” and the performance of “Di nyo ba naririnig?” —a Filipino version of Les Miserables’ ‘Do you Hear the People Sing?.’
The theme of this year’s protest was SONAgkaisa, an amalgam of words SONA and Nagkaisa (united).
“SONAgKAISA highlights the unity of various groups, brought together here, because of what Duterte regime has done over the past months,” Reyes explained, referring to the events that happened since the imposition of lockdown in March, including the passing of the Anti-Terror Law, the denial of ABS-CBN franchise, and the loss of jobs of many Filipinos.
Because of the pandemic, there were various changes in this year’s rally, which was held before President Duterte delivers his 5th SONA at Batasang Pambansa.
One of them was there was no physical burning of effigy which served as a sign of dissent. Rather, it was done virtually – called “e-ffigy” – to prevent unnecessary actions that might violate physical distancing protocol. (Joseph Pedrajas)
