29/07/2026
INKLUSIBO CONDEMNS PNP FOR THE ARREST OF FERIA 51 AMID SONA PROTESTS
Amid the SONA ng Bayan protests, state forces arrested 51 young individuals for highlighting the true state of the nation through protest art. Inklusibo strongly condemns the government’s crackdowns, demanding the immediate release of the activists and censuring the administration's use of state power to silence free speech and suppress the right to peaceful assembly.
“This is a deliberate attack on human rights. It is telling how the state extends tolerance to high-profile corrupt politicians while unleashing aggressive tactics against young people who simply dare to tell the truth,” said Hans Bautista, Executive Director of Inklusibo. Bautista also expressed grave concern over the detention of 13 minors, calling it a severe violation of child rights.
The arrests reportedly ensued activists painted “MERALCO SINDIKATO” along Commonwealth Avenue, criticizing the electric distribution utility company over rising power rates. Bautista noted that such public frustration is a predictable reaction to mounting financial strain on ordinary families. “We cannot blame the youth for expressing these realities—it is their lived truth. Ever since the passage of EPIRA, Filipino families have carried the heavy burden of soaring electricity costs, minimizing their capacity to put food on the table and put children to school,” Bautista added.
Inklusibo strongly urges the government to drop all charges against the detained youth, uphold constitutional guarantees to free expression, and address the root economic hardships driving public discontent rather than penalizing those who bring them to light.
“Paint can cover a defaced wall,” Bautista said in closing, “but no coat is thick enough to bury the truth.” # # #
