No rallies near Batasan during SONA – QC gov’t

The Quezon City government has denied a progressive group’s application for a permit to hold a rally near the Batasan complex when President Benigno Aquino III delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22. Instead of allowing the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) to gather in front of Sandiganbayan along Commonwealth Avenue, as the group requested, the QC government offered it a park near city hall about 9 kilometers away. In a written notice received by Bayan counsels, the Quezon City government reportedly expressed concern that the rally will create traffic jam along the roads to Batasan. According to Article 3 Section 4 of the Constitution, the government can only regulate freedom of speech and deny rally permits if a clear and present danger is posed to the public.

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