MANILA: An influential religious group continued its protest for a second day on Wednesday (July 1) in support of a senator allied with Vice President Sara Duterte, again slowing traffic in Manila’s main highway.
Around 3,000 people mostly clad in white shirts, down from more than 14,000 on Tuesday, are congregating at the People Power Monument along the capital’s main thoroughfare. Hundreds of anti-riot police are on the grounds to ensure order. Some buses were still blocking a road linked to the main highway where lanes are still constricted, extending Tuesday’s gridlock.
The rally, largely in support of Senator Rodante Marcoleta who could face a plunder charge this week over campaign donations, comes days ahead of the start of Duterte’s impeachment trial in the Senate. The government has slammed the protests, warning it could hurt the economy.
Senator President Alan Peter Cayetano, a Duterte ally alongside Marcoleta, apologized on Tuesday for the traffic jam. "Protests are meant to inconvenience so we would wake up to what is happening around us,” he said.
The rally adds to the ongoing political turmoil in the Philippines fueled by the bitter feud between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his ally-turned-nemesis Duterte. The tensions are heightening risks for the slowing Southeast Asian economy that’s also battling one of the hottest inflation rates in the region.
Marcos’ sister, Senator Imee Marcos, another Duterte supporter, also attended the rally on Tuesday evening.
The rally, which didn’t have a permit on Tuesday, prompted President Marcos to cancel his public engagements to monitor the situation. But he’s scheduled to go ahead with his July 1-4 state visit to Canada where he’s expected to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
The local government has approved a permit for a second day of demonstrations, giving protesters until 8pm on Wednesday.
"We hope we will no longer experience the intentional blocking of roads by vehicles and buses to stop the traffic,” Colonel Allan Rae Co, police spokesperson, told local radio DZMM. - Bloomberg
