Thousands of Filipinos trooped to the streets on July 28 in Metro Manila and in provinces to expose the Filipino people’s true conditions under the Marcos regime’s past three years. Activists held the annual demonstration as a counter to the sitting president’s state of the nation address (SONA), calling this year’s event the “SONA of accountability.”

Led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), various sectors and allied groups united in a march along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City toward the House of Representatives in Batasan Hills. Thousands of police blocked the march forcing the groups to hold their program several kilometers away from Batasan Hills.

Bayan stated, “The ‘SONA ng Paniningil’ (SONA of accountability) is our people’s legitimate and democratic response to the exploitation and oppression perpetuated by the US-Marcos Jr regime.” The group further explained that this will provide the opening salvo to a continuing series of mass protests to hold Marcos accountable (#MarcosSingilin), while pushing for the ouster of Sara Duterte as vice president and holding Rodrigo Duterte accountable at the International Criminal Court (#DutertePanagutin).

“Through our people’s collective action—and not by relying on a political system that is rotten to the core—we can assert our democratic rights, struggle for national and social liberation and emerge victorious amidst the worsening crisis of the ruling system,” the group said.

The protest highlighted the regime’s failure to address the Filipino people’s needs amid successive storms and monsoon winds that brought heavy rains and flooding. The state abandons flood control projects, and instead prioritizes destructive quarrying, dredging, mining, and reclamation projects of bureaucrat-capitalists’ big businesses, the group added.

They also expressed dismay over the Supreme Court’s recent decision derailing the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte. “Impunity for big-time corruption in government is further entrenched by the SC decision. It is now almost impossible to hold corrupt and abusive impeachable officials such as the president, vice president and SC justices themselves accountable,” the group said.

The protests also emphasized the Marcos regime’s further consolidation of political power by kowtowing to US imperialist dictates on the economy, foreign policy, and national security. Protesters denounced ongoing repressive policies such as the Anti-Terrorism Law, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and the so-called “war on drugs” under the previous Duterte regime.

“Bureaucratic corruption and cronyism, state terror, puppetry to US imperialism and plain bad governance have resulted in intolerable misery and hardships for our people,” according to Bayan.

Various sectors participated in the protest led by mass organizations including the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), Pamalakaya, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), Gabriela, Karapatan, Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, Anakbayan and the League of Filipino Students, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), Alliance of Health Workers (AHW), Courage, Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), and others. They raised issues affecting their sectors such as widespread landlessness, low palay farmgate prices, low wages and salaries, lack of adequate social services, and heinous human rights violations.

Joining the demonstration are national democratic groups from the Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon regions. Before the SONA day, organizations staged protests at various offices of the Marcos regime to demand accountability for their lack of concern and rotten services.

Bayan chapters also led demonstrations and activities in the provinces. The largest protest took place in Iloilo City where nearly 1,000 people participated. Protests were also held in Naga City in Camarines Sur, Roxas City in Capiz, Kalibo in Aklan, Bacolod City, Cebu City, Tacloban City, and Davao City. Meanwhile, a forum was held in Baguio City on July 27.