BY ASHZEL HACHERO and VICTOR REYES
THOUSANDS of rallyists showed up but no untoward incident marred the protest actions staged by militant groups hours before the first State of the Nation Address of President Marcos Jr., according to authorities.
National Capital Region Police Director Maj. General Felipe Natividad said the protest actions staged by anti-Marcos groups proceeded peacefully in several areas in Quezon City, adding they later dispersed at noon.
“Awa ng Diyos wala namang anumang untoward incident na naging problema. Lahat naman ng mga raliyista natin ay nag-cooperate (In God’s grace, no untoward incident happened.
All the rallyists cooperated,” Natividad. “Everything is okay.”
“It’s generally peaceful. There was no untoward incident reported,” PNP Director for Operations Maj. Gen. Valeriano De Leon said about an hour after the president’s address.
PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. also said the SONA ended with no untoward incident.
“It’s generally peaceful and we can say that it’s one of the peaceful SONAs ever,” Danao told reporters, adding he hopes the protesters will do the same in future SONAs.
“As we have said, there is no problem if they will air their sentiments as long as it will be peaceful and there will be no clogging of traffic, there will be no hurting of anyone and destruction of property,” said Danao.
De Leon attributed the success to the “perfect execution” of the security plans the police laid out weeks before the event.
“Good planning resulted to the peaceful event,” De Leon said, adding mutual respect between the protesters and policemen who were deployed to ensure peace and order led to the peaceful outcome of the protest actions.
Protesters belonging to Bayan, Karapatan, Anakbayan and Alliance of Health Workers gathered on Commonwealth Ave. after meeting at the University of the Philippines in preparation for their rally.
Groups from Southern Luzon, according to the NCRPO, gathered as early as 5:30 a.m. on Elliptical Road before proceeding towards Philcoa. They later hooked up with protesters coming from UP Diliman and proceeded towards Commonwealth Ave.
The protesters called for a halt in the rising cost of basic commodities, increase of workers’ salary, food security, and end of labor contractualization, among others.
Among the personalities who attended the rally were former Bayan Muna part-list representatives Teodoro Casino and Eufemia Cullamat and losing presidential candidate Leody de Guzman.
The protest actions culminated in the destruction of a 12-foot effigy of Marcos.
Natividad estimated that around 3, 000 protesters showed up but De Leon said about 5,000 individuals took part in the protest actions.
The NCRPO said most of the protesters started leaving at around noon as agreed.
The Quezon City Department of Public Order and Safety earlier barred protests along Commonwealth Avenue. But the decision was later reversed by the city government after a meeting with rally organizers, the PNP, and the Department of Interior and the Local Government.
The PNP deployed 22,000 cops to secure Marcos’ first SONA.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo said: “It’s generally smooth and peaceful and no untoward incident recorded…(It’s) generally peaceful. No untoward incident recorded.”
“The successful security coverage for the SONA is attributable to the early preparation made for the event as well as close coordination with other security forces and cooperation of other allied government agencies,” added Fajardo.
Bayan said leaders of progressive groups later gathered at the national office of the Kilusang Mayo Uno in Project 3, Quezon City to view the SONA.
Supporters of Marcos were allowed to gather on Batasan Road in the afternoon, with no untoward incident reported. De Leon placed the pro-Marcos crowd at around 8,000.
