MANILA, Philippines — Progressive groups slammed the Philippine National Police after authorities blocked a delegation of protesters ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address due to the "unworthiness" of a 16-foot effigy.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan - Timog Katagalugan on Friday posted a video of police arguing with activists along the Imus-Dasmariñas border in Cavite. Officials insisted that the effigy they brought is "prohibited" and "non-negotiable."
"This is not the first time that state forces used their authority to intimidate legitimate forms of protests by the masses. It is a clear denial of the people's rights to protest granted by the Constitution," said BAYAN - Timog Katagalugan on Friday.
Among those that were affected were part of the Bigkisan Caravan delegation.
The police can be seen asking for the LTO-issued Official Receipt (OR) Certificate of Registration (CR) of the delegate's drivers for the protesters to go through. However, they were adamant to stop the progressives from transporting the effigy.
The effigy in question, which is normally set on fire during huge protests, consists of the president and vice president licking the boot of the U.S. military.
'Harassment went on for 5 hours'
"For more than five hours, PNP Cavite blocked the passage way of the Bigkisan Caravan 2023, the Southern Tagalog delegation for the People's SONA protest that will coincide with Marcos Jr.'s SONA this year," according to Kabataan party-list.
"PNP Cavite was unable to provide any legal basis for the blockage of the caravan. This is outright censorship. Reportedly, police also harassed drivers who are part of the caravan by attempting to confiscate their licenses and other official documents in an attempt to intimidate them to just go home."
The youth group said that the incident proved how scared the current administration is of criticism that may " risk its campaign to rebrand and deodorize the Marcos name."
Marcos is known as the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., a dictator who declared martial law in 1972. This lead to the imprisonment of 70,000, torture of 34,000 and the deaths of 3,200 others, according to Amnesty International.
Philstar.com is still trying to get the side of PNP spokesperson PCol. Jean Fajardo regarding the issue but has yet to reply with a statement.
"We call on authorities to hold accountable personnel and officials involved in this attack against the constitutional right to free expression and to stop any form of attacks that may be perpetrated towards participants of the People's SONA 2023," Kabataan said.
"We likewise call on the youth to speak up and ensure that the true state of the nation, after a year under the Marcos Jr. - Duterte administration, comes to light."