NCRPO Insists 51 Arrested at SONA Rally Committed Violations

MANILA, Philippines — National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin maintained that the 51 individuals his unit apprehended during a rally on Monday had “committed violations.” The arrests came during a rally mounted by progressive and militant groups along Commonwealth Avenue ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA). “We are not arresting them because they are protesting. We are arresting them because they committed violations,” Aberin said in a press conference. He clarified that the 51 individuals were apprehended for violating the Public Assembly Act of 1985 (Batas Pambansa Blg. 880) and other existing laws. “The police are not preventing them from exercising their right to assembly. They are just preventing them from committing violations,” Aberin said. However, militant groups slammed the NCRPO’s claim and said that the arrests were uncalled for and that they were exercising their right to freedom of assembly. “The police are just making excuses to arrest us. We were exercising our democratic rights,” said a spokesperson for one of the groups. The rally was organized to express dissatisfaction with the current administration’s policies and the rising cost of living. NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Rhoderick dela Cruz said that the protesters were blocking a lane of Commonwealth Avenue, causing heavy traffic congestion. “We tried to negotiate with them to move to a designated protest area, but they refused,” dela Cruz said. The arrested individuals were taken to the Quezon City Police District headquarters and are expected to face charges. This incident is the latest in a series of clashes between authorities and activist groups in the Philippines, raising concerns about the shrinking space for dissent.