Week-long march from Southern Tagalog to SONA kicks off in Calamba

TAGAYTAY CITY – Amid heavy rains, activists from Southern Luzon kicked off Tuesday a seven-day march from the provinces to President Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA) next week.

“Dutertemonyo,” a 14-foot-tall effigy of the president’s face distorted to make it look like a monster, took the march’s center stage as activities threatened to call for Duterte’s “ouster.”

“It (the effigy) would be shown during the march in Laguna but the burning would most likely take place on a day closer to the SONA,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Southern Tagalog media liaison Elsa Montejo.

Montejo said the march dubbed “Lakbayan ng Mamamayan” started in Calamba City in Laguna province Tuesday noon with about “a hundred” activists, although she said they were expecting to gather up to 400 people throughout the march.

Based on their schedule, the marchers would pass through the cities of Muntinlupa and Las Piñas as they planned to make their way to the United
States Embassy in Manila.

Protests would also be held at the Mendiola Peace arch and in front of the Chinese Embassy before going to the University of the Philippines-Diliman
in Quezon City.

“We want to expose the injustices and all the evil doing of the Duterte regime,” Montejo said.

The group also opposed the government’s “tyranny” that contributed to poor economic conditions and the spread of crimes in the country.

Montejo said the marchers would spend the night in covered courts and public plazas and would hold protest programs along the way.