By Francis Allan L. Angelo
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas issued a rally permit to the organizers of the People’s SONA that will stage a protest rally in Iloilo City when President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, 2020.
The initial plan of the group is to gather at Sunburst Park in downtown Iloilo City on Monday.
Trenas required the organizers to observe minimum health standards such as physical distancing and wearing of masks, which the group assented to.
The agenda of the rally is to raise awareness on the much-maligned Anti-Terror Law, the adverse effects of the denial of a fresh franchise to ABS-CBN, aid from the national government amid the pandemic, medical solutions to the health crisis, red-tagging of activists and academic personalities, among other issues.
The rally is jointly organized by SONAgkaisa composed of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center, Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches, Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response, Sisters from Alliance of Consecrated Women of Iloilo, Ang Dios Gugma, Kabataan Patylist, Anakbayan Panay, Kaisog, Pamanggas, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, PISTON, Panayanons Against Terror Act, Movement Against Tyranny, All U.P. Academic Employees Union, Liberal Party Iloilo, Akbayan, Kaya Natin!, Samahang Magdalo, SENTRO, Partido ng Manggagawa, National Union of People’s Lawyers, and BAYAN Panay.
FULL ALERT
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 is now on full alert with the activation of Task Group “SONA 2020”.
In a statement, Police Colonel Gilbert T. Gorero, PRO-6 spokesperson, said the task group will supervise the conduct of all security preparations and operations in different cities and provinces in the region.
“PRO-6 is on full alert status and uniformed personnel will be deployed in all places of convergence to maintain orderliness and to ensure that health protocols are being observed,” the PRO-6 statement said.
In a phone interview, Gorero suggested that the organizers designate safety officers from their own ranks who will ensure the strict observance of minimum health standards during the rally.
He added that the police held a dialogue with the organizers to settle the guidelines during the rally.
PRO-6 also noted that Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines discouraged protesters from holding rallies or demonstrations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We further encourage protesters to use social media as an alternative venue subject to the limitations of laws. However, ‘No permit no rally’ policy remains in effect. PRO-6 is requesting the cooperation of the public to avoid crowded areas and in joining rallies on Monday, July 27 due to health risks brought about by the pandemic.
PRO-6 said it “will strongly implement IATF guidelines particularly strict observance of physical distancing, wearing of face mask, and other public safety rules.”
