What to Do If You Need a Lawyer for Attending a Mañanita

(SPOT.ph) Hundreds of concerned citizens on June 12 practiced their freedom to express their objection to Senate Bill No. 1083 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which legal experts say poses a “clear and present danger to constitutionalism and the rule of law,” with provisions that should be deemed unconstitutional. The University of the Philippines College of Law published their stand on the bill on June 11, stating that the proposed law contains “violations of the separation of powers; for instance, the power given to the Anti-Terrorism Council, a purely executive body, to exercise the exclusively judicial power to order an arrest as well as to make a conclusion that a person is a terrorist (even on a prima facie basis) for purpose of arrest and detention [emphasis theirs].”

At the De La Salle University on Taft Avenue in Manila, activists peacefully stood holding handmade placards in front of military personnel. One of the placards read, “Happy birthday, Pilipinas.”

On University Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City, meanwhile, a mañanita was held to commemorate the republic’s birth 122 years ago.

Students stood alongside artists like Toym Imao, who made his own headpiece for the occasion. Activist Juana Change attended as the original mañanita celebrator, NCRPO Chief Debold Sinas.

Toym Imao is a visual artist whose work as been exhibited around the world.

Does Juana Change look familiar?

#LawyersAllRise

Also at Mañanita 2020 was the group Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties or CLCL, which reminded attendees that should they need legal help for taking part in the celebration, they’ve set up a hotline: 0965-604-7475.

Main photo from Toym Imao's Facebook page.