Militant groups from Southern Tagalog, Mindanao march to Batasan

Members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) from Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, and parts of Mindanao began marching on Monday morning to IBP Road in Quezon City where they will hold a protest action during President Rodrigo Duterte's second State of the Nation Address.

Protesters now heading to Batasan Complex, traversing Commonwealth Avenue. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/UoRMacZ5bP

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) July 24, 2017

Allan Gatus reported on DZBB radio that 5,000 militants temporarily stopped along Commonwealth Avenue across Central Avenue to rest as they prepared to air their complaints against Duterte's first year in office.

Unlike last year, Bayan Muna will hold protest actions instead of a support rally due to unfulfilled promises, the extension of the duration of martial law, and discontinuing of peace talks.

One of the central pieces to their protest is a papier mache caravan called "Pugita ng Lagim", a giant effigy of an octopus adorned with the flag of the United States riding a tank with the logos of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other government agencies on its front.

TINGNAN: Ang effigy na bitbit at susunugin ng mga militanteng grupo.@dzbb pic.twitter.com/mH0m8o3ubf

— samnielsen (@dzbbsamnielsen) July 23, 2017

Gatus said the octopus represented the US' control over the Philippines despite the Duterte administration's current foreign policy.

Bayan-Southern Tagalog already stormed Camp Crame a day ahead of SONA while other militant groups expressed their agenda of holding a counter SONA given that the "promise of change has not been realized." —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News