MANILA — Protest rallies in Metro Manila were violently dispersed by police and marines on July 24. The rallies were called by progressive groups to denounce the state of the nation address (sona) by President Joseph Estrada at the Philippine Congress.
As early as July 23, 15,000 police and marines were deployed at different places near the Batasan (Congress building). The police swooped on two groups that were holding a vigil and arrested their leaders. Police officers went on television to threaten with arrest anybody who participated in the next day's march on the Batasan.
The 6000-strong July 24 protest at Philcoa, the day's biggest, was attacked with truncheons and shields. The rally was called by a united coalition of different political blocs which dubbed itself the "People's Sona".
The military used water cannons to disperse the crowd. When that failed, a three-deep police phalanx lunged forward while another phalanx positioned itself at the side of the street aiming rifles at the protesters.
Around 80 people were injured, including two who had to be rushed to the hospital with head injuries. More than 20 were arrested and taken to a police camp. The police also captured the truck that was used as a makeshift stage, breaking its windows and destroying the sound system.
Television coverage of the rallies showed the consistently violent approach taken by the police. Some media workers also suffered truncheon blows.
The People's Sona at Philcoa involved almost all of the political blocs in the country, including the Socialist Party of Labour (SPP), Solidarity of Filipino Workers (BMP), Movement for National Democracy (KPD) and others. It was the largest show of unity on the Philippine left so far (previously, the BMP would have held its own rally).
Bayan, an organisation associated with the Communist Party of the Philippines, held its own rally, which was also dispersed by police.
Weeks before the rally, left groups held meetings to hammer out a "unity statement" which was published by a mainstream newspaper on July 24. The statement called for unity and struggle against the pro-multinational, anti-people, militarist and anti-democratic Estrada regime.
One of the issues raised against the regime was the emergency powers bill pending in Congress. The bill aims to impose a strike ban and a freeze on land reform in Mindanao under the pretext of encouraging "economic recovery".
On July 17, Congress called a special session to fast track the passage of the bill. Several left groups picketed the gates of the complex. Five SPP activists managed to get into the session hall and disrupted the proceedings.
The People's Sona also included relatives of hundreds of people buried at a "garbage-slide" in Payatas. After slight rains, a 15-story garbage dump collapsed and inundated an entire community of scavengers in the area. The retrieval of dead bodies — the toll is more than 200 — continues.
In the aftermath of the July 24 attack, organisers of the People's Sona called a media conference to condemn the police brutality. An "indignation rally" was also announced.
The SPP issued a statement calling on all progressive groups to unite and revive the "parliament of the streets" as the street demonstrations against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos were known. The SPP also called for a broad progressive united front that would work for the ousting of Estrada.
BY SONNY MELENCIO