WHAT started out as a demonstration in support for President Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address (Sona) here yesterday morphed into a protest action.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan spokesperson Wildon Barros gave Duterte a mark of five of 10 for missing to address the labor issues hounding workers across the country.
Barros said they were dismayed when Duterte failed to mention the workers’ demand to end contractualization, of launching a genuine land reform, and free education for the youth.
In Duterte’s Sona yesterday, the President digressed and seemed to have looped on scaling up the war against substance abuse and drug traffickers.
Rochamae Bihag, vice president of the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines, also gave the president a five of 10 grade.
Bihag said they were disappointed when the Duterte failed to mention how his administration would deal with the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) which would see the convertion of the Lumbia airport here into a US military satellite base.
“Ang interes ra sa upper class ang gihatagan og importansya ni Digong. Ang speech more on fight against drugs pero wala ma-mention ngano nga nag-engage ang mga tawo sa drugs,” Bihag said.
The activists took to the streets in Cagayan de Oro starting in the morning to implement realistic pro-people programs in time for his first State of the Nation Address (Sona).
Barros earlier said the demonstration was meant to push for the “people’s agenda,” and rally for the meaningful change.
They called for the cancelation of “all anti-people” laws, and improved health and social services.
The activists also called on the Duterte administration to address the root cause of war,” move towards national industrialization, genuine agrarian reform, and push for education for all.
Hours before the Sona, Barros said, “Ang pagtambong sa Sona usa ka pagpakita og suporta sa bag-ong administrasyon diha sa hisgutanang pagkab-ot sa katilingbanong kabag-ohan. Apan lakip sa maong suporta ang pagbitbit sa katawhan diha sa kabag-ohan nga naka-ugat sa gipanginahanglan ug ginapangayo sa mas lapad na katawhan.”
Barros said his group also want the Duterte administration to scrap the Edca and not allow US to build military facilities in Barangay Lumbia.
“Imbes Edca and US base sa Lumbia, atong iduso ang serbisyo sosyal sa mga biktima sa Sendong ang pag-hatag og subsidy ngadto sa mga mag-uuma nga nahimong biktima sa kalamidad og hulaw nga dala sa El Niño,” he said.
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