President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. ordered authorities to observe "maximum tolerance" during the lightning rally along EDSA on Tuesday, June 30, while emphasizing respect for the public's constitutional rights and the enforcement of the law when necessary.
During the Malacañang press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President was immediately informed about the early morning protest and responded by recognizing the rights of individuals to peacefully express their views and assemble.
“Yung rally kanina madaling araw ay nabigyan naman agad ng informasyon ang Pangulo. At ang Pangulo naman ay nirespeto ang karapatan ng bawat tao. Ang freedom of expression, ang freedom of assembly, pero hindi kinikilala ng Pangulo ang mga pang-aabuso na may kaakibat dito,” Castro said.
Asked to clarify what she meant by "abuse," Castro explained that such actions occur when the exercise of one's rights begins to adversely affect the rights of others.
“Maaari nating masabi kung may pang-aabuso kung nakakaapekto na sila ng ibang tao. Karapatan din naman lahat natin na galangin din ang karapatan ng bawat isa,” she said.
Castro added that the President instructed law enforcement authorities to continue exercising restraint while ensuring that existing laws are implemented whenever violations occur.
“Ganun pa rin. Maximum tolerance ang dapat na pairalin at makinig lang kung ano ang kanilang sasabihin, pero kung may lumalabag sa batas ay dapat din ipatupad ang batas,” she said.
The Palace also said President Marcos has been closely monitoring developments, not only to ensure the security of government institutions but also to assess the impact of the protest on the public, particularly commuters affected by heavy traffic.
“Nagmamonitor po ang Pangulo. Nagmamonitor po sa mga galaw, hindi para lamang sa Palasyo, kundi para sa taong bayan na naaapektuhan, na naiipit sa trapiko dulot nitong rally or protesta,” Castro said.
Despite the gathering, Malacañang maintained that it does not view the protest as a security threat to the administration.
“Wala pong nakikitang threat dahil alam naman po ng Pangulo na ang kanyang ginagawa ay para sa taong bayan. So kung meron lang po siguro mga ibang interes o interes ng ibang grupo, interes ng ilang tao, hindi po siya dapat na maging hadlang sa pagpapatupad ng Pangulo at ng administrasyong ito ng batas,” Castro said.
