Progressive groups in Davao are set to hold protest rallies during the fourth State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, an official of a labor group said.
“There will be an assembly at the Freedom Park at 9 a.m. up to afternoon, until the SONA will also be finished,” Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Secretary General Carlo Ulalo told reporters yesterday during the sidelines of the forum on the National Political and Economic Situation.
Ulalo said the nationwide protest rally will be attended by “groups and individuals who would like to point out the failure of the President as the leader of this country.”
“We will monitor the false promises that he will once again make to the people of the country, including the war on drugs, war on terror, insurgency, and other economic projects and worst, the agenda to push for charter change that will make the foreign capitalist to dominate us more,” he said.
The labor leader said Duterte finished his midterm with a failing grade.
“We cannot see any figure to rate him but his administration, in its midterm, is already a failure,” Ulalo said. “He was not able to meet his promises and he was not able to provide the needs of the mass of the Filipinos.”
According to Ulalo, his group no longer sees any hope that the Duterte administration will listen to their concerns especially that recently, those who strongly express their opposition, were pinned with charges.
“As we can see, with the ceaseless control of the imperialist China to us and the political hold of US, we will remain a puppet. Even with the statements by the President, he remains to favor these foreign countries more than us, Filipinos. There is no longer hope to this,” he added.
Ulalo, however, said they will continue to be the voice of the oppressed.
“But, the progressive groups will continue to bring out the voices for sectoral issues and we will not stop to bare alternative solutions because this is what we hope for,” he said.
