LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – “Mr. President, you have no right to brag or boast about your SONA.”
During a protest action in Peñaranda Park before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, Bicolano youth activist and co-convenor of Bueños Kontra Korapsyon (BKK) Earnest Blanquera denounced the continued youth repression and state surveillance.
Blanquera joined progressive groups from Sorsogon and Albay provinces as they marched to Peñaranda Park from the Bicol Regional Hospital and Medical Center (BRHMC) in Daraga to participate in the People’s SONA. Groups in Camarines Sur also gathered for a protest at Plaza Rizal, Naga City on the same day.
“We are here on the streets because the youth are the hope of the nation that you have forgotten, abandoned, and even robbed. We are the only allies of the oppressed class. And as long as the system only serves the few, our struggle will continue,” Blanquera said.
According to Kabataan Partylist Bicol, the real state of the youth is that they continue to suffer from corruption, worsening social crises, and face state attacks when speaking out for their rights.
“In Bicol University, students have experienced red-tagging and other forms of intimidation because of their participation in social issues and legitimate activities. While in Ateneo de Naga University, police officers entered the office of a student publication without prior notice or permission, took photographs of students without consent, sought information about its members, and made statements linking student activists with groups branded by the state as ‘pasaway,’” Kabataan Partylist Bicol said in a statement. “These incidents are not simply ‘visits’ or ‘documentation.’ They are part of a broader climate of surveillance, intimidation, red-tagging, and harassment against young people who organize and speak out.”
“Instead of funding basic and tertiary education, billions are being cut. Instead of that amount funding the basic services, it goes to the PNP, AFP and NTF-ELCAC, which have done nothing but attack and suppress the voices of the youth and other militant leaders,” Blanquera said.
On April 28, 2026, Blanquera and other human rights victims from Albay, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon held a silent protest and dialogue at the regional Commission on Human Rights (CHR), urging the local government agency to take decisive action against the escalating red-tagging and terror-tagging in the Bicol region. However, their demands remain unresolved.
According to Blanquera, he experiences surveillance in his school and even in his residence. “They are going house to house just to intimidate us. […] They will say that we should stop being activists and they will be the ones to convey our grievances to the government.”
He asked, “How can we trust them if they call us terrorists every day and above all they are the protector of the people we want to hold accountable because they are involved in corruption and they are even the initiators of human rights violations?”
“Being critical is not a crime. Organizing youth is not a threat to security. The real threat to our future is a state that prioritizes the interests of foreigners and corrupt officials while silencing students who demand accountability,” said John Paul Fernandez, convenor of Ateneo de Naga University’s ADNU 4 Palestine (A4P).
“We have seen various attacks on the youth. From harassment and intimidation during mobilizations, to red-tagging posters in the cities of Bicol,” Blanquera said. “There were widespread arrests, in the national level, of those who participated in last year’s anti-corruption rallies, who were sent subpoenas and filed with trumped-up cases.”
Reject Pax: During the People’s SONA in Legazpi City, progressive groups resist the large-scale AI hubs of the United States. Photo By Reynard Magtoto/Bulatlat
Reject Pax Silica
Bicolano youth activists also condemned the Pax Silica coalition as a ‘modern form of theft and colonialism’ that serves the imperialist interests of the United States and is connected to its genocide in Palestine and war with Iran.
Fernandez said that the proposed establishment of large-scale artificial intelligence (AI) hubs and related infrastructure exploit the country’s natural resources, land, and labor force.
“For the youth, it is not enough for the government to say that Pax Silica is only about technology and jobs. We must always ask to whom these AI hubs and strategic supply chains are for? Who will benefit from our land, labor, and mineral resources? And who will share in the environmental damage and security risks?” he said.
“The Philippines’ involvement in strategic supply chains led by the United States cannot be separated from the intensifying rivalry between major powers, particularly the US and China,” Kabataan Partylist Bicol said in a statement.
“We, the youths, cannot afford to view Pax Silica as a simple investment project. Amid the escalating US-China rivalry, the Philippines is clearly being made a valuable chess piece for the economic and security strategies of the United States. When our economy, natural resources, and territory are put at the service of the interests of a foreign power, we also risk becoming a target and frontline in a war that is not ours,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez stressed that projects such as Pax Silica cannot be separated from the broader military presence and intervention of the US in the country. “If they don’t want these facilities to be built in their own country and if other countries reject them, why should we be the ones to accept the risks and harm?”
“Because of the US-Marcos regime’s Pax Silica Project, the administration’s priority bills are the House Bill 9465 or the Digital Media Anti-False Information Act and the Foreign Influence and Interference Act – which is a dangerous step against freedom of speech and expression,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Bicol said.
“In the bill, the government will decide what is the truth. There is a high possibility that the anti-fake news bill will be used to silence those expressing legitimate grievances against the government.” said Jen Nagrampa, chairperson of Bayan Bicol. “This is a new ‘Terror Bill’ in the ‘Digital Space’ that supports the administration’s Memorandum Circular No. 83 which created the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace and Development (NAP-UPD) led by the NTF-ELCAC. Worsening surveillance and human rights violations in the country will continue.”
According to Bicol youth groups, promises of development are not enough while national sovereignty continues to be surrendered, public funds are stolen, education budgets are cut, and young people are silenced for demanding accountability. (RTS, DAA)
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