Progressive groups and other civil society organizations held their first State of the Nation Address (SONA) rally on Monday, July 26, inside the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City without the UP-Department of National Defense (DND) Accord.
President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his sixth and last SONA on Monday.
If it was not abrogated, the accord would have served as protection for the protesters against arrests of the police or the military.
In January, the Duterte administration unilaterally abrogated the accord, which served as a protection of UP students and academics against possible police and military abuses.
During Monday’s SONA, progressive groups destroyed effigies of Duterte as a sign of protest against the President’s policies. Protesters observed proper health protocols during their demonstrations.
On July 24, the progressive groups, along with the Quezon City local government and the police, agreed on health protocols that will be observed during the SONA protests. – Rappler.com
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