LOOK: Duterte Shares Mirienda With Leaders Of Rallyists After SONA

Duterte Shares Mirienda With Leaders Of Rallyists

Duterte Shares Mirienda – After his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Monday, July 25, 2016, President Duterte invited the leaders of the rallyists who came to the Batasan Complex to eat snacks with him and to talk about their concerns.

One of the group leaders, Bagong Alyansa Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr. expressed his amazement with how they have been treated, first, by the policemen, and second, by the President.

Reyes led the peaceful rally which in earlier reports, said that they won’t do protests but to support the agenda of the new President and to share theirs.

Reyes shared his experience on his Facebook account saying that as his group was packing up to go, policemen came to them and asked to go with them without knowing where these policemen will take them.

“We were seated at the island along Batasan Road, resting while waiting for the pack up of the stage when we were approached by the PNP who asked us to go with them,” he narrated.

According to Reyes, he and his comrades didn’t know why they will be taken until such time, they have found out that the President is waiting for them in the lounge as can be seen in the photos he shared. Reyes said that they had a long meeting with the President regarding peace and social services.

“The PNP did not say where and why. We just followed thinking they just wanted to discuss something. Turns out we were brought to a lounge where the President was waiting. He wanted to meet the activists gathered outside. Many had left though. Kami ni Beng yung na-pick up ng PNP. The Mindanao delegation had to walk back to Batasan to catch up as they too were going home. In the meeting with the President, we talked about peace and how the president wanted to devote more resources to social services once the armed conflict was resolved. He talked about how the Lumad can return home without fear for their safety. It was a long meeting, starting at 7pm and ending at 830pm.

“It was a gesture we truly appreciated. A lot of firsts indeed in the president’s first SONA,” ended Reyes.

Duterte reportedly allowed the rallyists to come as close as in the Batasan Complex, just a hundred meters from the venue of the SONA which happened for the first time.

See photos on the next page.