Reactions to first-ever SONA ban on attires with ‘political messages’

The primary State of the Nation Tackle beneath the Marcos administration is not going to enable attendees to put on “garments with political messages,” in response to a memorandum issued by Home Secretary Common Mark Llandro Mendoza.

Former Fee on Elections chair Andy Bautista tweeted, presumably sarcastically, that the transfer “is welcome information for a politician who desires to make a political assertion.”

Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan party-list), in the meantime, aired his grievances over this prohibition on Twitter. 

“That is the primary time in current historical past that an specific prohibition is issued,” he moreover claimed. “Martial Legislation yaaarn?”

Martial Legislation refers back to the nine-year interval imposed throughout late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr’s time period which noticed quite a few human rights abuses.

His contemporaries within the progressive Makabayan bloc are planning to put on protest attires on the occasion.

Extra reactions

Some discovered this prohibition a violation of freedom of expression, protected by the 1987 Structure.

“Di ba towards freedom of speech ‘to?” a Twitter user asked. 

“That is so weeeeird like bawal na pala tayo lahat mag-express?” another asked. 

One other on-line consumer identified how “style is political.”

“Trend is political. Noong mid-century, naging debate pa iyang barong sa pormalan dahil gusto Amerikana ang dapat enterprise apparel. Hindi ba nila alam na ang barong na isusuot nila sa SONA ay bunga rin ng politikal na antiimperyalismo midday?” the Twitter user said.

Others questioned the memo, citing that the present administration ran on “unity” platform.

“Ibang klaseng unity to ha,” a Twitter user said. 

“If that is so, then it means it actually was by no means for the folks. there’s solely the “unity” they oh-so-boldly preach of if you’re on their aspect,” another wrote. 

Regardless of the opposition, some stated lawmakers may be a part of the rallies that are permitted by the federal government in freedom parks.

“Pwede naman mag-rally sa designated na lugar. Ano ira rally niyo? kauupo lang. Hindi [pa] nga nagsisimula binabakbakan nyo na agad,” a Twitter user said. 

Is it the primary time?

The outfit of Rep. France Castro (Alliance of Involved Lecturers party-list) features an individual holding a torch to represent the supply of hope and reality to the plenty.

The colour of the material can be black to represent “disinformation” and “historic distortion” beneath the administration.

In the meantime, Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela party-list) will don a skirt with illustrations of “girls’s struggles towards rising costs of oil, meals and fundamental requirements.”

Her party-list additionally stated that “‘flying’ pork and different items shall be handpainted with gold and silver paint” on her outfit.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated he’ll talk about his key insurance policies and priorities as president in his maiden SONA, which incorporates particulars of the federal government’s medium-term fiscal framework, amongst others.

Within the earlier administration, members of the Makabayan bloc had been in a position to put on protest attires for former president Rodrigo Duterte‘s SONA in 2021.

Former Bayan Muna consultant Carlos Zarate additionally wore one in Duterte’s penultimate deal with.

In 2019, nevertheless, some protest apparel props of the Makabayan bloc members had been confiscated by the Presidential Safety Group earlier than the beginning of the occasion.

These are former Kabataan consultant Sarah Elago‘s sash, former Bayan Muna consultant Ferdinand Gaite‘s barong and Brosas’ fan.

In line with the Kabataan party-list, the PSP didn’t give a “strong foundation” for the confiscation.

It didn’t occur in 2018 when Duterte delivered his third SONA.

There have been additionally no related experiences in 2017 and 2016.

No confiscation of protest attires occurred in former president Noynoy Aquino‘s time period as nicely.