Thousands hold rallies across Visayas on SONA day

President Benigno Aquino III INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Protest actions in Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Capiz and Aklan provinces drew over 5,000 members of militant groups who belied President Aquino’s claims of accomplishments in his State of the Nation Address on Monday.

At least 3,000 protesters led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan marched in the streets of Iloilo City before converging in front of the capitol grounds, where they held a rally.

Speakers took turns decrying worsening poverty, rising costs of basic commodities and services, unemployment and low wages.

“The rosy pronouncements of economic growth sharply contrast with the situation of workers, farmers, fix(ed)-earners, government employees and the urban poor whose conditions have worsened after three years under the Aquino administration,” said Hope Hervilla, Bayan-Panay chairperson.

In Capiz province, at least 500 protesters, mostly farmers led by Bayan and the Kahublagan sang Mangunguma sa Capiz (KAMACA) and informal settlers, marched to the Roxas City Bandstand, where a rally was held starting Monday morning.

In the capital town of Kalibo in Aklan, small coconut farmers under the Coco Levy Fund Ibalik sa Amin (CLAIM) trooped to the Aklan Trade Hall Center at the capitol grounds and asked the provincial government to support House Bill 1327, which seeks for the utilization of the sequestered coconut levy fund for the small coconut farmers.

The provincial chapter of Bayan also led around 500 protesters from the provincial capitol to the Kalibo Pastrana Park for a protest rally.

Despite the rain, at least 100 Bayan members marched in downtown Bacolod City in Negros Occidental carrying an effigy of a war tank bearing a figure of President Aquino holding handcuffs and a warrant of arrest.

Christian Tuayon, Bayan Negros secretary general, said the effigy represents their opposition to the government’s move in making Negros Occidental a laboratory for the filing of trumped up charges against activists and critics of the government. He said 24 activist and critics of the government are facing trumped up charges in Negros.

In downtown Cebu City, Cebu, two groups held separate rallies on Colon Street at 10 a.m. Monday.

At least 200 Bayan members gathered in front of Gaisano Metro to criticize the Aquino government for failing to trickle down to the poor the economic growth, which they said only benefited big businessmen and families who helped him last elections.

About 100 meters away, some 300 members of Nagkaisa, a federation of labor groups in Cebu, also held their own mass action echoing criticisms against the Aquino administration. Reports from Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Carla P. Gomez and Jhunnex Napallacan