Members of militant Bayan Bicol stage a protest rally at Pe帽aranda Park in Legazpi City on Monday (July 25) just hours before President Marcos Jr. delivered his first State of the Nation address. (Contributed)
LEGAZPI CITY鈥� Militant activists held protest rallies in the provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur ahead of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. on Monday (July 25), denouncing the lack of justice a year after the killing of two activists in the Bicol region.
Jen Nagrampa, Bayan Bicol chairperson, said at least a thousand activists converged and held simultaneous protest actions at around 9 a.m. at Plaza Oragon in Naga City and Pe帽aranda Park in Legazpi City.
She said justice was still elusive for Marlon Napire and Jaymar Palero, who were shot dead by the police on July 25 last year, a day before the last Sona of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The police claimed that while spray-painting the message, 鈥淒uterte Ibagsak,鈥� on a concrete railing near a bridge in a village in Guinobatan town in Albay, the activists fired twice at the police, prompting the lawmen to retaliate.
Human rights groups said the victims were unarmed during the incident.
Palero was a member of Magsasaka sa Albay, while Napire was from Albay People鈥檚 Organization.
In a video message posted on the Facebook page of Bicolana Gabriela, Jessica Peralta, wife of Palero, urged the newly elected town mayor and Albay governor to hold the police accountable.
鈥淲e hope for an intensive investigation and that no life will be sacrificed again just to reveal the truth. Justice must be served to Jaymar Palero and Marlon Napire and all other victims of violations of human rights,鈥� Peralta said.
Meanwhile, Monday鈥檚 protest rally was also attended by members of Bayan Bicol, Jovenes Anakbayan, Bicolana Gabriela, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Bicol, Amihan Bicol, and Karapatan Bicol.
Nagrampa said since the start of the election campaign, Marcos Jr. has had no concrete plans to solve the economic crisis.
鈥淸It is] not surprising that now, even though he鈥檚 in the position, he had no actions in the continuous oil price hike,鈥� she said in a statement.
She said amid the crisis, the administration still prioritized Red-tagging of his critics and the opposition. INQ
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