For The First Time, Militant Groups Have Set Foot In Malacañang!

An accomplishment that previous administrations wouldn't have done is to allow militant groups' inside the Malacañang, but this time they have been permitted to enter for the first time in over a decade. Members of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) has set foot on the Malacañang Palace on Thursday to talk with the new president.

Bayan Secretary-General, Renato Reyes Jr. on Facebook said, "Today, leaders of Bayan met with President Rodrigo Duterte at the Osmena Room in Malacañang to congratulate him on his inauguration and to submit to him the People's Agenda for Change which was drafted by the National People's Summit." 

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The leftist group has been the vanguard of protests, place through tense dispersals throughout rallies. In addition to that, they have also been forbidden from protesting in the vicinity of the Malacañang Palace, frequently meeting barricades in the historic Mendiola. 

As stated by Reyes, he together with Elmer Labog of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Sarah Elago of Kabataan, Cristina Palabay of Karapatan, Christian Tuayon of Bayan Negros, Windel Bolinget from Cordillera People's Alliance, Diego Torres from Bayan Southern Tagalog, Eufemia Cullamat, Lumad from CARAGA, Liza Maza of P1NAS and Makabayan, and Antonio Flores of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), were fetched by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) whilst the rally was ongoing in Mendiola.

And he added, "There were no costume changes. We were in typical sweaty rally attire when we entered Malacanang, passing by the departing Palace guests who were dressed in their best formal wear." The group was "warmly received" inside the Osmeña Room where they tackled about a wide range of issues with the new president, such as contractualization, mining, ancestral lands, land reform, the release of political prisoners, health services, and education.

Reyes commented that, "He sympathized with the release of political prisoners on humanitarian grounds since he had seen similar cases in Davao before. He is studying the possibility of distributing 6 million hectares of public land to farmers. He is a firm believer of the principle of land to the tiller. He wants a review of existing laws on ancestral lands."

And was asked by President Duterte whether it was their first time inside Malacañang, having given that they were usually forbidden from crossing the barricades. "He asked us if this was our first time inside Malacañang. For most, it was. We told him how we are usually barred from crossing the barricades at Mendiola. He told us that he respects freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble."  

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Meanwhile, Duterte also told them that the group will be granted to rally closer to the Batasan during his first State of the Nation Adress (SONA). Reyes stated, "I asked him if this meant that we can hold our SONA rally closer to Batasan. He said it shouldn't be a problem. Pwede raw makalapit."  

Their meeting together lasted for 40 minutes. And after that, Duterte even posed for a "groupfie" with them.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com

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