Democratic organizations held a picket before the Quezon City Hall of Justice on November 14, coinciding with the court appearance of transport and urban poor leaders charged with violating BP 880 or the Public Assembly Act. They were charged in connection with a transport strike and march held on August 14 against the pro-foreign, pro-capitalist Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP, formerly PUVMP).

The charges were filed against Kadamay’s Mimi Doringo, Manibela’s Mar Valbuena and Regie Manlapig, Piston’s Mody Floranda and Ruben Baylon. BP 880, which contains the “No Permit, No Rally” policy, is a repressive law passed under the dictatorship of Marcos Sr.

The leaders have previously asserted that such backward laws that violate basic human rights should be abolished. They argue that permits are not needed to expose and oppose the pro-foreign and pro-business modernization programs.

“The state alarmingly uses laws to criminalize opposition to the government’s unjust policies,” Piston said. This case also further exposes the Marcos regime’s true reactionary face.

Doringo, Floranda, and Valbuena are all candidates for senator in the upcoming 2025 elections. Doringo and Floranda will run under the Makabayan Coalition, while Valbuena is running independently.