Several groups representing varied political affiliations are scheduled to hold mass actions in separate locations around Metro Manila and some cities in the provinces today to denounce massive corruption in the government’s flood control program.
Dubbed the “Black Friday protest,” participants are expected to come from various student and youth organizations, militant groups, and the Duterte-aligned Bangon Sambayanan Movement, based on announcements posted online.
In a Facebook post, staunch Duterte supporter Eric Jeff Celiz called supporters to gather at the EDSA Shrine today.
“The forthcoming Black Friday people’s nationwide protests against corruption and plunder being perpetrated by the evil regime of Marcos-Romualdez,” he wrote.
In an X (formerly Twitter) post, the University of the Philippines University Student Council will also hold its university-wide protest at 11 a.m. in the UP College of Arts and Letters faculty center.
“Scholars of the nation, wear black and move against corruption! Fight for higher funding for education,” the group wrote in Filipino.
The League of Filipino Students – Katipunan said it will also hold a protest this afternoon.
“Now is the most critical time to take a firm stand against rampant corruption. No longer can we stomach unmatched greed, and no longer can the swindling of the Filipino people be treated as standard operating procedure. We must make our rage felt in the streets,” the group’s post said.
Outside the metropolis, groups were reportedly planning to hold mass actions in front of the Department of Public Works and Highways offices in Bacolod and Dumaguete cities.
Yesterday, groups including, Tindig Pilipinas, SIKLAB, Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa, Nagkaisa, Akbayan Youth, trooped to the EDSA Shrine in Quezon City to kick off the series of protest actions.
However, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said only around 200 people took part in Thursday’s rally at the iconic shrine.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. yesterday said security plans have been laid out for today’s demonstrations against anomalous infrastructure projects.
Nartatez said that the PNP is prepared to implement crowd management and dispersal plans to ensure the safety and security of Filipinos, including those who will participate in the so-called ‘Black Friday’ protests.
“We have security plans that have been set and… continuously we are monitoring the peace and order and safety in Metro Manila,” he assured at the sidelines of the 911 National Command Center launch yesterday.
Similarly, Major General Anthony Aberin, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said police personnel will “maintain peace, order and security amidst the ongoing and upcoming demonstrations across the NCR while performing in maximum tolerance.”
“We respect and uphold the constitutional right of every Filipino to assemble and express their views. At the same time, we remind everyone that these freedoms must be carried out peacefully and responsibly, without endangering public safety or disrupting community life,” he added.
In separate statements, Police Regional Command 3 (PRO 3), which covers Central Luzon, and Police Regional Command 4A (PRO 4A), covering the 5-province Calabarzon region, made similar pleas for sobriety.
“We call on the public to remain calm and cooperative. Rest assured your police in Central Luzon will continue to safeguard peace, protect lives and property, and guarantee that both public safety and the rights of all are upheld,” PRO 3 said.
“We uphold the right to peaceful assembly, but we call on everyone to exercise this right responsibly and with respect for public order and safety,” PRO 4A said, likewise.
For his part, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla assured that the national police is ready to keep the peace during anticipated protest rallies, saying the Philippines is unlikely to see riots reminiscent of those in Nepal and Indonesia.
He said security forces are ready to manage possible protest actions to safeguard the public, while respecting the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
“All contingencies have been considered. But our operative place is people who want accountability but not instability. So we will prevent the instability… If they have a permit, they have freedom to assemble,” Remulla said in Filipino.
“Our directive to the police is to be present, patient, and to practice maximum tolerance while respecting the sentiments of the people,” the DILG chief added.
