Camille Naredo

Article (news)

SONA

Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Hundreds of protesters gathered in Mendiola, Manila on Monday morning to present what they called the &quot;real&quot; state of the nation, hours before Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s speech.More than 500 individuals from seven sectoral groups under the banner of Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KILUSAN) joined the protest.&quot;Naniniwala kami na ang SONA, ang tunay na estado ng mamamayan ay hindi mo maririnig sa Malacañang, hindi mo maririnig sa Presidente, kung hindi mismo sa boses ng mamamayan,&quot; said Atty. Virginia Laxa Suarez of KILUSAN.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/27/big-task-ahead-for-marcos-as-he-enters-crucial-second-half-of-term-2309">READ: Big task ahead for Marcos Jr. as he enters crucial second half of presidency</a></div>Suarez said Filipinos are not just facing storms and floods, but a series of man-made disasters brought about by government failures across all branches.Among the issues raised were the worsening floods and soaring prices.&quot;Lubog sa baha, mataas na bilihin pero diba binenta pa ang ating bansa dun sa pagpayag niya na gawing ammunition depot ang Subic,&quot; Suarez said.She also slammed the Senate and House of Representatives for &quot;sabotaging&quot; impeachment efforts against Vice President Sara Duterte, and the Supreme Court for declaring the impeachment attempt unconstitutional.&quot;Delubyo rin mula sa Kongreso at Senado dahil sa sabotahe dahil sa impeachment, delubyo din dahil ang dami, ang tindi ng kurakot mula sa mga naka-posisyon,&quot; she said.&quot;Delubyo din nung pagtaksilan tayo ng korte suprema nung ibasura niya at i-deklara niya na unconstitutional ang impeachment. Delubyo na ang inabot ng mga mangingisda mula sa Supreme Court nung ibigay ang labing limang kilometro sa negosyo, sa halip na sa mga ordinaryong mangingisda,&quot; she added.Suarez added that small fisherfolk also suffered a betrayal when the Supreme Court allowed the 15-kilometer fishing zone to be opened for commercial use.&quot;Ang tinding krisis ng inaabot natin hindi mo yan maririnig mamaya sa Presidente. Lahat &#x27;yan i-sa-sanitize lahat, pero ang maliwanag mula sa iba&#x27;t ibang sangay ng gobyerno, pinagtaksilan ang mamayan,&quot; she said.&quot;Ang pagpapahayag namin, siyempre sana marinig ng Malacañang, pero higit dun, gusto naming marinig ng mamayang Pilipino,&quot; she added.Meanwhile, along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan of Southern Tagalog burned effigies of both Marcos Jr. and Duterte.The group accused the administration of bureaucratic corruption, claiming that public funds meant for flood control were diverted for personal gain. Bayan also criticized the government&#x27;s climate policies, saying they favor extractive industries while neglecting the needs of ordinary Filipinos.The protesters also condemned the Supreme Court&#x27;s recent ruling that blocked impeachment efforts against Vice President Sara Duterte, calling it a blow to accountability and a sign of growing impunity in government.After the activity, the group immediately cleaned up the area, including the burnt effigies, before dispersing.The protest caused minor traffic slowdowns along Commonwealth Avenue, prompting police and the Quezon City LGU to manage its flow.Bayan President Renato Reyes earlier said the burning of effigies is part of a long tradition of Philippine protests that uphold freedom of expression. He pointed out that protesters in past cases who burned effigies were cleared of charges and found innocent. -- with a report from Jessie Cruzat, ABS-CBN News<div> </div><div>RELATED VIDEO:</div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABdEwlnfe4gvJczX"></script>

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Mendiola, Manila on Monday morning to present what they called the "real" state of the nation, hours before Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s speech.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Mendiola, Manila on Monday morning to present what they called the "real" state of the nation, hours before Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s speech.

'The real SONA comes from the people': Hundreds rally in Mendiola ahead of Marcos' speech

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

'The real SONA comes from the people': Hundreds rally in Mendiola ahead of Marcos' speech

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 28, 2025 01:25 PM PHT

|

Updated Jul 28, 2025 07:50 PM PHT

Read More:

absnews

rally

State of the Nation Address

SONA

effigies

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2025 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.