Tension escalated along several sections of Commonwealth Avenue on Monday, just hours before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA), as protesters clashed with members of the Philippine National Police–Quezon City Police District (QCPD).
Earlier in the day, a group of farm workers from Central Luzon who intended to join the People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA) protest in Quezon City were reportedly stopped along Mindanao Avenue by personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (HPG).
According to the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), the PCG and HPG ordered the farm workers to return home and prevented them from commuting to the Department of Agriculture, where they were scheduled to hold a protest program.
UMA also claimed that four vehicles carrying delegates were taken to the LTO, while a PCG personnel boarded one of the delegates’ private vehicles. The group alleged that authorities failed to cite any specific traffic or legal violation as the basis for the apprehension.
Meanwhile, along Commonwealth Avenue, authorities arrested several protesters for alleged vandalism, holding an assembly without a rally permit, and allegedly assaulting a police officer.
However, demonstrators denied the allegations and insisted they were peacefully exercising their right to protest.
The commotion also affected traffic and public order in the area.
Several vehicles were impounded by personnel of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), including a red-plated Toyota Innova bearing stickers of the Office of the President.
A Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) bus also sustained damage after it was reportedly pelted with stones, leaving one of its side windows shattered during the confrontation.
During the protest, demonstrators criticized what they described as the Marcos administration’s poor performance on various issues.
They questioned the government’s handling of alleged flood control anomalies, claiming that no major personalities had been charged or jailed in connection with the controversy.
The protesters also expressed concern over the continued increase in oil prices and the rising cost of basic commodities, which they said have further burdened ordinary Filipinos.
Earlier, QCPD Director Police Brig. Gen. Glen Silvio assured the public that police officers had been instructed to observe “maximum tolerance” in handling demonstrations while maintaining peace and order.
As the situation unfolded, traffic along the lanes leading to the Batasang Pambansa Complex slowed considerably due to heightened security and the presence of rallyists.
Meanwhile, security remained tight at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, where only individuals with official SONA identification cards were allowed to enter the premises.