Students and youth from around the country form multiple sectors united to make a joint statement in preparation for the upcoming State of the Nation Address of the Nation, and protest the various abuses & incompetencies of the administration. The 60 organizations who spoke were from national youth and rights organizations, school-based ors, student councils, community-based advocacies, and campus publications.
Representing Negros Island and Bacolod were Emilie Jocson from the LGBTQ+ organization Tribu Duag, Krishna Ariola from the youth coalition Bacolod Youth Alliance, and Gino Lopez from the island’s alternative media Paghimutad.
The main themes were pleas to junk the unconstitutional Anti-Terror Law, mass testing and aid for afflicted sectors, academic freeze so as to ensure #NoStudentLeftBehind in concern for students without internet access, calling out the various human rights abuses that have occurred under the Duterte administration and seeking justice for such, equality for all sectors, as well as press freedom and an end to campus repression.
Cultural performances Teatrong Bayan (People’s Theater – Philippines) and Sining Banwa were also featured in the program. The press conference ended with all participating representatives holding up calls relating to their advocacies with the unifying theme of “Tama Na, Sobra Na, #WakaSONA“, calling for an end to state impunity.
Paghimutad 