Protesters burn Marcos, Sara effigies

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the appeal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) not to burn effigies during President Marcos’ fourth State of the Nation Address, SONA protesters set on fire images of the Chief Executive and Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday.

Members of cause-oriented groups braved the rain to stage protest actions along Commonwealth Avenue.

At least 800 members of Bayan-Southern Tagalog converged at around 7:30 a.m. near Philcoa, holding placards and banners criticizing the administration.

The group burned effigies of Marcos and Duterte, which were quickly extinguished by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

PNP chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III said there is no decision yet if criminal complaints would be filed against activists who burned effigies.

Even before the groups’ demonstration at around 3 p.m., activists started burning makeshift dummies.

There was a slight tension when BFP personnel doused a burning effigy in front of protesters.

Other groups such as Agham and Kalikasan held a protest near Tandang Sora.

The protest took the form of a mock newscast likening President Marcos to a storm, which they said also served as a tribute to journalists.

Supporters of Marcos also gathered near the Batasang Pambansa complex.

Asked by reporters if police would file cases against those who burned effigies, Torre replied, “Let’s not think about it now. Tapusin na muna natin ang lahat ng ito.”

“As long as walang nasaktan, no major disruptions in the activity, OK lang ‘yan. We willl allow that,” he added.

Following a press briefing at Camp Crame, Torre inspected the security deployment along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Around 23,000 police officers were deployed to secure the SONA, Torre said.

Police enforced maximum tolerance and allowed the protesters to air their grievances against the government.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said rallies held by anti-government groups during the SONA were “generally peaceful.”

“No untoward incident was recorded,” Fajardo said.

Police said the activists concluded their program at around 5:15 p.m. and dispersed from Commonwealth Avenue.

At least 4,000 people participated in anti-government protests, according to National Capital Region Police Office spokesperson Maj. Hazel Asilo.

Traffic jams

Traffic congestion was reported as early as 7 a.m. along Commonwealth Avenue, which reached the Quezon Memorial Circle.

To ease the flow of vehicles, the Quezon City government and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority implemented traffic rerouting schemes and opened zipper lanes.

Police were deployed in the area, with designated protest spaces established to prevent major traffic disruptions.

Emergency response

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) activated its emergency response operations for the SONA.

In a statement, PRC secretary general Gwen Pang said teams and equipment, including ambulances, first aiders and welfare units, were mobilized to provide medical and psychosocial assistance to the public and security personnel.

The PRC deployed an Emergency Room Module with a 10-bed capacity, manned by doctors, nurses, student nurses and volunteers.

“This setup ensures on-site treatment for injuries, heat-related illnesses and other health concerns, reducing the need for hospital referrals and easing the burden on medical facilities,” Pang said.

Seven ambulances from the PRC units in Quezon City, Caloocan, Marikina, Rizal and the Red Cross national headquarters were prepositioned in critical zones.

First aid stations and welfare desks were also established to cater to health-related and humanitarian needs.

Meanwhile, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said decisive efforts in ending hunger were among the “biggest achievements” of President Marcos.

“The government is trying to end hunger, and we have made some strides in doing it,” Gatchalian said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel. — EJ Macababbad, Rhodina Villanueva, Jose Rodel Clapano