President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22, 2019. Parallel protest actions, attended by tens of thousands, were held within and outside the country.
“For three more years, we will be confronted with the same ineffective and anti-people kill-kill-kill solution and policy framework of the Duterte government. Duterte peddles the same policies and initiatives that will result to further deaths, illegal arrests, torture and other forms of gross violations on the people’s civil and political rights. It is the same tactic of fear mongering and warmongering to justify repression and militarism,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay. She also assailed the militarist bills that the President has mentioned as priorities, including his marching orders to pass the death penalty measures, his drug war and counterinsurgency program, the mandatory ROTC bill, among others.