Youth group slams ban on rallies at Noynoy's Times St. home

Militant youth group Anakbayan on Thursday criticized police moves to ban rallies in front of President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III’s house on Times Street in Quezon City. The Quezon City Police District’s (QCPD) decision to declare Aquino’s private residence a “no-rally" zone shows the current administration’s “insecurity towards criticism," Anakbayan national vice-president Anton Dulce said in a statement on Thursday. “This is the latest in a series of acts by the government which indicates its insensitivity to millions of Filipinos with legitimate grievances, and insecurity towards criticism by various groups and sectors," Dulce said. He added that the move to ban demonstrations in front of the Aquino residence shows that repression practiced during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo exists up to this day. “(Aquino) should not adopt Gloria Arroyo’s ‘out of sight, out of mind’ policy and use the police and military to keep the nation’s real problems out of his mind," Dulce added. The QCPD declared the “no-rally" zone on Wednesday, supposedly to maintain peace and order in the neighborhood. (See: Cops declare Aquino's Times St. house no-rally zone) Dulce however labeled the police’s reason for banning street protests as the “lamest excuse," and called the move as a “threat to freedom of speech." “The records will show that all rallies and pickets held in front of Noynoy’s house which were left alone by cops remained peaceful. It is their presence (that) constitutes a threat to the peace of the neighborhood, as well as the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly of many Filipinos," he said. Anakbayan also challenged Aquino to “reach out to the youth" during the early months of his presidency.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV