QC court denies Bayan request to stage rally at Batasan

MANILA, Philippines—A Quezon City court on Monday morning denied a militant group’s bid to march all the way to the Batasan Pambansa, venue of President Aquino’s second State of the Nation Address, and hold their protest rally there.

Mr. Aquino’s Sona is scheduled at 4 p.m. Monday.

In a two-page order, Judge Luisa Padilla of Regional Trial Court Branch 215 did not grant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan’s petition for a temporary restraining order, seeking to stop the city government from changing the venue of Bayan’s rally.

The group asked the city government to allow it to hold rallies at the Batasan, but the city government only allowed them to hold rallies at the Quezon Memorial Circle and up to St. Peter’s Parish along Commonwealth Ave.

Atty. Rey Cortez, lawyer for Bayan, said they were only allowed up to conduct Monday’s protests up to St. Peters Parish.