‘Baha sa Luneta 2.0’ rally draws smaller crowd

National

THE Baha sa Luneta 2.0 rally drew fewer attendees while the program was shorter compared to the Sept. 21 mass gathering.

While the rally did not attract the expected turnout, Malacañang emphasized it felt the people’s anger and their impatience.

“To those attending the rallies and those who will join future gatherings, this is all I can say: We feel you, we hear you, and we will not disappoint you,” said Communications Secretary Dave Gomez in a report by Inquirer.net.

Gomez said President Marcos closely monitored protest actions sparked by the flood control corruption scandal.

The third major anticorruption rally this year was held at Luneta in Ermita, Manila, drawing about 3,000 participants from youth groups, labor unions, civil society organizations, and faith-based networks.

The rally ended around 12:30 p.m.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), one of the organizers, criticized the Manila police for causing disruptions that affected the number of attendees.

“They disrupted many things in our protest. It discouraged people from coming and staying. Many people arrived early, but then the start of the program was delayed,” said Bayan secretary general Mong Palatino in an interview after the rally.

Bayan said a stage was supposed to be set up while roads were supposed to be closed but they were allegedly prevented by the Manila police.

Organizers were to present a permit to conduct the rally.

“This is clearly intended to sabotage the protest, discourage people from joining the rally, and suppress the demand to make Marcos Jr. accountable for the large-scale corruption in the government,” the group said in a statement.

Palatino admitted they did not have a permit but they coordinated with authorities. He explained that the organizers “agreed to a verbal permit” after the local agencies they had spoken to did not want to issue one, reasoning that the area was outside their jurisdiction.

Palatino insisted that Rizal Park is a public space, which means that permits are not necessary.

Several public figures called for transparency and accountability to prevail in the flood control probe.

“Our criteria for [Vice President] Sara [Duterte], is also my criteria for Marcos … They should all be treated the same. All of those involved must be held accountable,” said actress Mae Paner.

De La Salle University professor and TAMA NA convener David San Juan decried the absence of convictions involving legislators.

He urged Marcos and Duterte to resign if they had “delicadeza”, defying appeals by other rally organizers to refrain from ouster calls amid reports of destabilization against the Marcos administration.(MyTVCebu)