Let there be peace, Palace tells Sona protesters

Miltants burn the effigy of president Benigno Aquino during the SONA rally along Commonwealth Avenue Quezon City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

Malacañang on Saturday repeated its call for protesters to hold a peaceful demonstration on Monday, during President Benigno Aquino III’s last State of the Nation Address (Sona).

“As is with every year, let us cooperate with the authorities and let’s keep the protests peaceful and safe,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said over state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

“Kasama po ‘yan sa ating demokrasya, ‘yung the ability to rally, to demonstrate, and to be able to express your thoughts on a certain issue or a certain administration, but again, let’s keep it peaceful,” she added.

(That’s part of our democracy, the ability to rally, to demonstrate and to be able to express your thoughts on a certain issue or a certain administration, but again, let’s keep it peaceful.)

Valte asked rallyists to not pick fights with the police.

A larger number of protesters are expected to troop to Commonwealth Avenue to listen to Aquino’s Sona and express their dissent against the current administration.

On Friday, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary-General Renato Reyes said the Quezon City local government has yet to respond to their request for a rally permit.

“If no action is taken within two days from filing last July 20, the application is deemed granted. As such, we have the legal right to march to Batasan Road on Monday,” he said.

Reyes pointed out that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is not the approving authority when it comes to rallies.

“The blockades they are setting up along Commonwealth Avenue for Monday are illegal and [violative] of our constitutional rights,” he said.

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