Zamboanga bans all US-related rallies

ZAMBOANGA CITY – "Balikatan" rallies, whether for or against, will no longer be allowed at the city plaza, named after a US general who suppressed a secessionist Muslim rebellion more than a century ago.

Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat said the local government would no longer grant permits to any group wishing to use Plaza Pershing as a venue for expressing sentiments on the ongoing RP-US war exercises dubbed "Balikatan 02-1." She gave no reason for issuing the ban.

Since US troops began arriving in Mindanao last January, Balikatan 02-1 has been met with both support and protest by citizens here.

The city government has already turned down a permit request for a pro-Balikatan rally set by organizers for Feb. 24.

This is the first time the city has banned rallies in Plaza Pershing.

Covering an area of 2,000 square-meters, the park is just a stone’s throw away from City Hall.

The plaza was named after Gen. John "Blackjack" Pershing, who led the liberation of this former sleepy city from Spanish occupation in 1898. He later served as Mindanao governor-general, holding office here during the American occupation.

Pershing also led US colonial forces in pacifying a secessionist rebellion in Mindanao, and left the city only after peace was restored. - Roel Pareño