Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. challenge President Rodrigo Duterte a day before the latter’s second State of the Nation Address (SONA).
While preparing for mass action against Duterte’s SONA tomorrow, Reyes told media on Sunday that he will only retire from opposing the government if the current president can provide him a job to feed his family.
“Kaya naman tayo nagrarally at nireremind ang gobyerno sa kakulangan nila. Marami ang nagugutom. Kung walang inaapi siguro naman e wala tayo rito”, Reyes said.
The militant leader also added that his group will burn an effigy but refused to say whose effigy it will be.
The mood of the rally will of course be different. It is not as optimistic as last year. It is more of a protest against and denunciation of the anti-people and anti-national policies of the Duterte regime. It will also serve as the national indignation over the extension of Martial Law,” Reyes said.
“There is no change. Halos lahat ng pangako niya (Duterte) ay napako. Tumaas ang bilang ng mahihirap. Ako kung bigyan lang ako ng magandang trabaho, let say a cabinet or an executive post, wala na siguro ako rito”, Reyes said
Contingents of Bayan, the largest nationwide alliance of militant organizations, are all set for tomorrow’s protest, Reyes said. They will consist of delegates from Manila and Luzon, and Lumads from Mindanao.
“We’re all set for tomorrow’s rally which we expect to be just as big if not bigger than last year’s due to the many issues confronting the nation today,” the secretary general said.
I hope this serve as a challenge to our president. If he really want us to keep quiet, he should give our demands. Decent jobs that could let us feed our family. Marami dyang walang ginagawa so gobyerno, at marami sa amin ang qualified na palitan sila”, Reyes added. /Sylvia Descalsota/