Dear Friends,
Greetings of peace!
On July 23, President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the joint session of Congress. The SONA has always been an opportune time for our people to reflect on the country’s situation and to air their various concerns and grievances.
Indeed, during these uncertain times, when our fragile democracy is once more under threat of authoritarian rule, when human rights are violated with impunity, when the EJK list continues to rise, when national sovereignty is being bartered away, when the economy is wracked by soaring prices, low wages and unemployment, and when peace and justice have become more elusive than ever, President Duterte is diverting our attention by railroading charter change via Constituent Assembly.
It is our Christian duty in a democratic society to stand firm and say “Enough!”, and make a prophetic call for genuine transformation.
In this light, we are inviting you to a peaceful yet powerful protest rally on July 23, 3-6pm along Commonwealth Ave., QC, fronting the St. Peter’s Parish Church. The Coalition for Justice will join several thousands of people representing the broadest spectrum of religious beliefs, political persuasions and sectoral interests, coming from more than 100 churches, faith-based organizations, sectoral and cause-oriented groups in a Unity March that will start from UP Diliman Campus at 2p.m., passing by various assembly points along Commonwealth Ave. to the rally site.
We invited Former CJ Maria Lourdes Sereno to speak on Charter Change during the event.
If you intend to join the Unity March and the rally, please respond to this email and indicate your group/organization, how many people from your group you expect to join, and which assembly point you intend to proceed to on July 23.
This would be the perfect time for the President, Congress and the whole nation to see and hear our various organizations, sectors and movements united in the struggle to uphold democracy, human rights, peace, and justice. We hope you can join us.
Thank you very much.
Ptr. CALOY DIÑO
Lead Convenor
Coalition for Justice
July 20, 2018
ASSEMBLY POINTS | Organizations in charge:
- Diliman Preparatory Academy| 1PM – ACT Teachers and PUP community
- Robinsons, Commonwealth (cor. Tandang Sora) |12NN – BabaeAko
- UP University Avenue | 12NN – BAYAN, MAT
- Luzon/Tandang Sora | 1PM – BAYAN QC, QC Urban Poor Network
- Ever Gotesco | Intercessors for the Philippines
- St. Peter Parish Church | 1:30PM Mass – Tindig Pilipinas, Sangguniang Laiko, Promotion of Church People’s Response, National Clergy Discernment Group, Task Force Orientation of Church Personnel, Task Force on Urban Conscientization of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Nicodemus, Rise UP, Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation Pilipinas
- Toyota Center, Commonwealth | 12:30PM – Laban ng Masa, iDefend, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Green Thumb Coalition
- 1PM – Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa, Coalition for Justice
