New York, NY – Around 75 protesters gathered under the scorching hot sun of a New York heatwave on the afternoon of July 24 to listen to the Peoples State of the Nation Address (PSONA) in front of the Philippine Consulate. The People's State of the Nation Address was counter to Marcos Jr's first state of the nation address, and to express the real state of the nation, exposing the lies and disinformation of the current regime.

This year marked a tense PSONA as it was Marcos’ first time addressing the nation as the newly elected president. The controversial election was riddled with machine mishaps, corruption and a campaign of lies spearheaded by the Marcos family.

It doesn’t bode well that President Biden not only congratulated Marcos on his victory, but has invited him and Duterte to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. The backing of the leader of the largest imperialist country means that Marcos can continue the tyrannical rule of his predecessors with impunity.

PSONA was a lively event despite the treacherous heat. There was chanting, skits, speeches and makeshift effigies.

Michela Martinazzi, a member of the New York Community Action Project, spoke on behalf of the International League of People’s Struggle, saying, “Currently in the Philippines there's a wave of red-tagging, where activists, human rights advocates, and anyone who dares to stand up against injustice gets tagged as a dangerous terrorist. Here in the United States, we have a similar form of political repression where you can be tagged as a violent extremist just for marching against police brutality, climate change, unfair work conditions, or to not be kicked out of your home.”

Martinazzi continued, “But are the people marching for justice terrorists? No! The real enemy are the ones who jail and kill innocent people. The real enemies are the ones who start endless wars for profit. The enemies are Biden and Marcos!”

Nina Macapinlac from BAYAN USA finished out PSONA with a passionate speech regarding solidarity, the inspiration to keep fighting, and exactly what kind of welcome Marcos and Duterte should expect in September.

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