Bayan: SONA a waste of public funds

MANILA, Philippines — The biggest inconvenience during the annual State of the Nation Address is not the presence of activists but the administration of President Marcos for wasting public funds for the SONA, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said yesterday.

Bayan president Renato Reyes made the assertion after Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil urged activist groups not to inconvenience the public when they hold rallies during the third SONA of Marcos on July 22.

“The biggest inconvenience and burden on SONA Day are not the protesters but the incompetent regime,” Reyes said in a statement.

He lamented that millions of pesos are spent for the event that showcases “tone-deaf pageantry and overkill security.”

Marbil assured anti-government protesters that police would exercise maximum tolerance but maintained that demonstrators should also ensure their activities will not inconvenience commuters and motorists.

Reyes responded by saying that people have a right to protest what he described as a worsening crisis under the Marcos administration.

He said the government only gave a P35 wage increase to workers who are dealing with skyrocketing prices of basic commodities.

“It is a right guaranteed by the Constitution and it is a necessity brought about by our current dire conditions,” Reyes said.

At least 22,000 police officers will secure the SONA, Marbil said.