MANILA — More than 50 people were arrested during protests held in connection with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, after they allegedly vandalised a building and violated local ordinances by wearing balaclavas, the Philippine National Police said.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said authorities had legal grounds for the arrests, citing alleged violations of Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act; Batas Pambansa Blg. 880, the Public Assembly Act; and local ordinances prohibiting face coverings. The individuals were accosted for those violations, he said, noting that covering the face is prohibited, especially in light of what happened in September last year. Police did not want to allow them to continue causing trouble on the road and affecting those protesting peacefully, he added.
A video obtained by the Quezon City Police District showed several individuals in black shirts, black trousers, and balaclavas spray-painting the words “sindikato” and “corruption” on the wall of an electric distribution utility company along Commonwealth Avenue. The QCPD initially reported that at least five people had been taken to a police station for questioning, though Nartatez later said the number of arrests had risen to 51. He suggested more violations might yet occur, contrasting the situation with the calm activities of Iglesia Ni Cristo members the previous night, which he said he hoped the protests would mirror.
Police have yet to determine whether those arrested belong to any of the groups granted permits to hold rallies during the SONA. QCPD director Brig. Gen. Randy Glenn Silvio said organisers were aware of the conditions set out in their memorandum of understanding with authorities, including prohibited acts, and that police would check with rally leaders on whether the individuals involved were still their members.
As of 4:33 p.m., 34 of the 51 arrested were inside a BJMP bus at Camp Karingal. According to a SENTRA/NUPL lawyer, 13 of those arrested were identified as minors.
Despite the arrests, Nartatez said security preparations for the address remained effective, crediting months of planning and coordination among police units and the Quezon City government. The force had a full year of lessons on what went well and what went wrong to draw on, he said. The PNP had earlier deployed around 20,000 personnel nationwide to secure the SONA and related protest activities.
Marcos Supporters Gather on Commonwealth Avenue for SONA Viewing
MANILA — Thousands of supporters of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gathered along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Monday to watch his State of the Nation Address together.
Ahead of the viewing, supporters held a programme in front of the Commission on Audit office at 1 p.m., with some arriving at the venue before 9 a.m. Among the issues they said they hoped Marcos would address were the administration’s accomplishments in fighting corruption, particularly the alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
Some described the anti-corruption drive as one of the administration’s most significant achievements, saying it had led to the arrest and imprisonment of individuals allegedly involved. “We have held those involved in flood-control corruption accountable. Some of those who stole from government funds are in jail,” said Marcos supporter Obet dela Cerna.
Another supporter, Irma Saliguran, offered similar praise. “For me, his accomplishments are very good. It used to be that nobody went to jail, but now they are being arrested one by one. The economy is also a little better,” she said.
