DRINKS AND LEAFLETS. Army personnel from the 402nd Infantry Brigade distribute bottled drinks and information materials to protesters in Butuan City during President Rodrigo Duterte's fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday. Army musical bands also staged concerts in several cities in Caraga Region during the SONA to add a more festive and friendly mood to the event. (Contributed Photo)
BUTUAN CITY — The Philippine Army and Philippine National Police deployed their respective personnel to ensure the peaceful assembly of protesters during President Rodrigo Duterte's fourth State Of the Nation Address (SONA) Monday.
In a statement released Tuesday, the Army's 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade said it teamed up with the Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) to deploy "sizeable personnel to ensure that the rallyists can peacefully assemble and freely avail their right and uphold their freedom of expression."
Around 80 rallyists holding anti-government placards marched from Butuan City Museum and converged along Montilla Boulevard, this city.
The 402IBde said some of their units, including the "Masigasig Band" of 23rd Infantry Battalion conducted free concerts in public areas "to highlight a peaceful, orderly and meaningful SONA."
Soldiers in this city and in Surigao City were also seen distributing leaflets calling for unity to "accelerate peace and development in Caraga."
In this city, the 402IBde said its personnel and the local police distributed more than a hundred bottles of mineral water to the rallyists, who "welcomed the gesture and thanked the soldiers and policemen for the act."
“We do not consider the anti-government rallyists as our foes, we are just performing our job. As a soldier, I wanted them to feel that we are their friends and allies. We are here to protect them whichever side they are in or chose to belong”, said Private First Class Eike Ombo, a female IP soldier who hails from Carromata, San Miguel, Surigal del Sur.
Ombo said she chose to be sympathetic to the rallyists even though some of their invectives and placards were aimed at the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Col. Maurito Licudine, 402Bde commander, said the military respects "the freedom and the inalienable rights of every citizen of this country. It is our mandate to be the soldier not only to those who favor the government but to all Filipinos."
However, Licudine expressed reservations with the organizers' decision to include minors in their rallies.
"Children must be in school. Actually, according to our personnel who talked to some of the rallyists, they revealed that they joined because of a promise of getting paid and for the free snacks and meals and not because they care about the organizers' agenda against the government," the Army official said.
"As per observation from the previous rallies, the attendance has significantly decreased because people have already learned that rallies are not going to solve our problems. It only creates division among us," he added.
Licudine said most of the anti-government rallies are organized by the various front of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA).
The communist rebel movement, he said, is exploiting various social issues as "a ploy to deceive and recruit members."
"Hence, we reiterate our call of unity, let us talk in an environment of peace and a dialogue that everyone can be heard so that we can resolve the issues together,” he said.
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