This policy will be strictly enforced by the city of Manila for all protest actions on May 1, the first anniversary of a pro-Estrada rally-turned-Malacañang siege that left four dead and hundreds injured.
Mayor Lito Atienza called on organizers of protest groups yesterday to secure permits from City Hall to ensure their protection from harassment by anti-riot policemen.
"This requirement is not a restriction but is meant to protect those involved in the protests," he said.
Last year, thousands of supporters of former President Joseph Estrada marched to Malacañang from the EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City in an attempt to oust President Arroyo and reinstate the ousted leader. Heads of pro-Estrada groups recently announced plans to conduct a protest rally to commemorate the event.
Militant labor groups will also be holding nationwide demonstrations on Labor Day to demand a legislated across-the-board wage increase of P125 in the daily take-home pay of workers. They denied reports that affiliates have forged an alliance with Estrada loyalists to hold massive anti-government rallies on May 1.
The mayor’s spokesman, Armand Sebastian, said groups planning to stage rallies on May 1 will be issued permits as long as they meet all the requirements.
Militant groups criticized Atienza’s policy, calling it a curtailment of the citizenry’s freedom of expression. However, the city government said it merely wants to prevent incidents similar to the violent dispersal of anti-US demonstrators last week.
Sebastian said the city government would be adhering to a policy of maximum tolerance, noting the mayor has been holding discussions with rally organizers and police officials.
"We will do everything to protect the rights of the rallyists. All we need is the cooperation of the rally organizers," he said.