Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said on Saturday that local law enforcers would not arrest anyone who will be caught burning effigies during protests on Monday, July 22 as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
In Jonathan Andal’s report in “24 Oras Weekend,” Belmonte cited the Batas Pambansa Bilang 880 or “The Public Assembly Act of 1985” which states that “malicious burning” of any object in the streets within 100 meters from the area of public assembly is prohibited.
“Wala po tayong aarestuhin. In fact, yung binanggit na batas, ang ating QCPD with regards to effigy, nung pinag-aralan ko po yung batas, it refers to the distance,” said Belmonte.
(We will not arrest anyone. In fact, when I checked on the law regarding effigies, it refers to the distance.)
“So kailangan, kung with 100 meters, bawal po yung magsunog ng effigy. Pero beyond 100 meters, wala naman pong binanggit yung batas na bawal.”
(So within 100 meters, burning of effigy is prohibited. But beyond 100 meters, it’s not prohibited.)
According to the report, Belmonte has already issued permits to pro-government and anti-government groups that will protest and counter-protest on SONA day.
The anti-government group will hold their protest near Diliman Doctors Hospital along Commonwealth Avenue.
Meanwhile, the pro-government group will conduct their activity near Sandiganbayan, also along Commonwealth Avenue.
“Ang importante talaga ay hindi pwede mag-rally nang walang rally permit. Wala po tayong pipigilan na mag-rally because we would like to preserve the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly which are mandated in our Constitution,” said Belmonte.
(What is important is that you cannot hold rallies without a rally permit. We will not stop anyone from assembling because we would like to preserve the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly which are mandated in our Constitution.)
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police said no protesters have tried to approach the Batasang Pambansa Complex.
“Well, history will tell us na kahit wala talagang permit ay talagang nagpipilit po sila. Isa po ‘yan sa mga anticipation po natin at part ng contingency plan natin, kaya ang ating mga personnel po ay nandiyan din naman po,” said PNP spokesperson P/Col. Jean Fajardo.
(Well, history will tell us that even without a permit, these groups would still force themselves. We are already anticipating this as part of our contingency plan, that’s why our personnel are there.)
“At ayaw din naman po natin magkaroon ng kaguluhan…kaya naman po ay talagang binabantayan po natin.”
(We also don’t want to have any chaos… so we are monitoring everything.)
Further, the PNP advised the public that police officers manning checkpoints could only inspect things that were in “plain view.” — Vince Angelo Ferreras/DVM, GMA Integrated News
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