BAYAN Bicol: Duterte, minions using pandemic to push personal agenda

Several groups from Albay stage a protest at the Peñaranda Park in Legazpi City in line with the 5th State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday. INQUIRER PHOTO/GEORGE GIO BRONDIAL/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

LEGAZPI CITY — Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Bicol has urged Bicolanos to stand united in  defending democratic rights of the citizens that had been trampled by President Duterte since he rose to power.

Vince Casilihan, spokesperson of the BAYAN Bicol, said Monday that Bayan believes that Mr. Duterte and his minions are using the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic  as a tool “to push for his personal agenda to rule as a dictator, and crush all the critics to his administration.”

Casilihan said that Duterte is exploiting the pandemic as a mechanism to spread lies and cover up his failures in governing the affairs of the country.

Members of Bayan and Gabriela staged a protest rally at the Peñaranda Park here at around 9 a.m. in connection with the President’s fifth State of the Nation Address in Metro Manila.

Bayan cited the failure of the administration to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 health pandemic that hit the economy into a state of recession, sending thousands of people jobless.

“He is also using the pandemic to enact the Anti-Terror Act, the Transport Modernization Act, suppressing freedom of the press, all these are anti-poor programs,” Casilihan added.