Militant groups laud Duterte’s no rally permit announcement but…

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday said it will definitely push through with its Black Friday protest after President Rodrigo Duterte announced that they no longer need to apply for a rally permit.

“Bayan welcomes the President’s statement that permits will not be required for the #MarcosNoHero rallies tomorrow,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said in a statement.

“#BlackFriday in Luneta is on,” he said, adding that simultaneous protests will be held in other cities nationwide.

“We expect peaceful yet indignant actions. Black will be the color of the day,” he said.

READ: Duterte: No need for permits to stage protests vs Marcos burial

However, Reyes said Duterte should not only welcome protests but also “listen to the people and understand their deep resentment of the dictator.”

Duterte, upon arriving in Davao on Wednesday evening, said those opposing the surprise burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani may freely hold protests, without needing permits from local officials.

However, he also insisted that Marcos was a president and a soldier and is therefore qualified to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“Spontaneous protests and organized actions are telling signs that the burial is widely rejected. He must not underestimate the people’s outrage,” Reyes said. CDG

READ: Duterte explains Marcos burial: He was a president and a soldier

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