Multisectoral organizations led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Tagalog (BAYAN ST) will hold simultaneous protest actions across the Southern Tagalog region on Sept. 21 to mark the 54th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.
Dubbed ‘Bahain ng Protesta ang Timog Katagalugan!’, the coordinated actions will be held at government offices and other key sites across Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon (Calabarzon), with organizers also citing concerns affecting communities in Mindoro.
In a media advisory issued Saturday, Sept. 19, BAYAN ST said the protests will focus on what it described as worsening conditions under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., drawing comparisons with the Martial Law period under his father, the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.
The groups cited corruption, persistent flooding, particularly in Batangas and Mindoro, and the continuing high cost of basic goods and services amid rising fuel prices as among their key grievances.
Organizers also raised concerns over what they described as special treatment and delaying tactics in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, as well as the case involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. They also criticized the administration’s support for the Pax Silica and Luzon Economic Corridor projects.
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The group further criticized the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program, alleging that it prioritizes security and anti-corruption measures while reducing funding for social services.
‘Despite collective action and public outrage successfully pushing the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte and arrest of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, these are still riddled with delaying tactics and special treatment,’ the group said in the advisory.
BAYAN ST also said the administration’s support for the Pax Silica and Luzon Economic Corridor projects reflects what it described as alignment with US interests, while the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program allegedly prioritizes security and anti-corruption measures at the expense of social services.