Progressive groups in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental held a “mañanita” or an early morning event in front of Silliman University, the city’s premier educational institution.
At least 10 people, spearheaded by Akbayan Youth-Dumaguete and Kabataan Para sa Karapatan, gathered at the university’s Portal East Building to denounce the passage of the anti-terrorism bill in Congress, as well as the national government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.
“The Duterte administration has taken advantage of the current situation and chose to prioritize mass arrests instead of mass testing, red-tagging instead of social welfare, and killings instead of health care,” Akbayan Youth-Dumaguete said in a statement Friday.
The Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office earlier said that while it would practice “maximum tolerance” on protesters, it would not hesitate to disperse and ask to go home those who would commit “vivid and gross violations” of community quarantine protocols.
It also said that protests and rallies are “not allowed,” as they are considered mass gatherings.
Akbayan Youth-Dumaguete still pushed through with their protest rally but practiced health protocols such as physical distancing and the wearing of face masks.
“As we celebrate our independence, may we all have a renewed, strengthened, and unwavering love for our country––not for any leader, not for any party, not for any group. And that for as long as our freedom is threatened by both foreign and domestic adversaries, we will never stay silent. As our ancestors fought, so shall we,” the group said.