MANILA, Philippines — Protest actions during President Rodrigo Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) in Quezon City will be allowed “to a limited extent” considering that there is an ongoing health crisis.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Tuesday said the local government will allow demonstrations and protest rallies as long as groups were able to secure permits from the police and the city government.
Duterte is set to hold his fifth Sona on July 27, at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
“Papahintulutan ang demonstrations provided that may strict adherence sa Presidential Decree 880, ‘yung batas which oversees peaceable assembly,” she said in a Laging Handa press briefing.
(We will allow demonstrations provided that there is strict adherence to the Presidential Decree 880, the law that overseas peaceable assembly.)
“We will allow to a limited extent demonstrators and protesters just because it has been a tradition for a very long time here in our city,” Belmonte added.
Upon application of permits, parameters of the protest action, such as the location and the number of attendees will be discussed.
Considering that there is a pandemic, the local government will be “very strict” in ensuring protesters will be compliant with minimum health standards, the city mayor said.
“Otherwise, we have the right to remind them or disperse them peacefully kung nakikita natin na nagiging public health hazard sila,” she added.
(…if we notice that they are becoming a health hazard.)
For the police’s part, Philippine National Police chief Archie Gamboa earlier appealed to protesters to just do their demonstrations online as “these are not ordinary times.”