Militant groups are expected to attend President Rodrigo Duterte’s first State of the Nation Address (Sona) not to protest against the new administration but to show their support for the President and air their grievances.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said thousands of rallyists from across the country are expected to arrive in Quezon City for the Sona. These include Lumads, other indigenous people, farmers, workers, fisherfolk, youth and women from different communities.

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“They are coming here to express support for the resumption of the peace talks between the GPH (Philippine government) and the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) as well as the People’s Agenda for Change,” Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. said in a statement Tuesday.

READ: Militants present 15-point program for Duterte’s first 100 days

Reyes asked the government to reduce “overkill” security measures, such as barbed wires, container vans, concrete barriers and thousands of police and military personnel.

“These measures often violate the constitutional rights of the people and are a drain on public resources, not to mention a source of tremendous public inconvenience because of the traffic re-routing,” he said.

“What the people desire to hear are the President’s programs to address poverty, unemployment, landlessness, underdevelopment, human rights, violations of sovereignty as well as his roadmap to peace,” Reyes said, urging the government to have a dialogue with the participants of the rally, dubbed “Lakbayan para sa Kapayapaan.”

Reyes also lauded Duterte for restricting lawmakers and guests from making a fashion circus out of the annual event.

“This would be a marked departure from nearly 15 years of pomp and glamor combined with barefaced state repression,” he said. RAM/rga

READ: No fashion show on Duterte’s 1st Sona—Alvarez

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