Before SONA, nationwide youth groups want China to pay up

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Akbayan Youth and Youth Resist drummed up demands against China with youth groups all over the country before the President Duterte's State of the Nation Address on Monday.

"Kung hindi kaya ng ating presidente, tayo na bilang mamamayan ang maningil," Akbayan Youth chairperson Dr. RJ Naguit said whose group, in an online petition, demanded for China to pay up P200 billion for West Philippine Sea damages.
The youth groups gave the administration a grade of BAGSAK in asserting sovereignty against China, among other national issues.

"Let us make China accountable by cutting its sources of leverage. Kailangang bantayan kung saan nangagaling ang pondo para sa Build Build Build para di tayo matali sa mga Chinese debt traps. Kailangan nating ipaglaban ang implementasyon ng Hague ruling," Dr. Naguit said.

"Sasayangin ba natin ang dugo at buhay ng ating mga bayani dahil lamang tayo ay duwag na kalabanin ang Tsina? This is the Republic of the Philippines -a sovereign Filipino state, not a province of China." Jamal Pandapatan from Marawi-based Movement for Progressive Young Leaders.

"Nakakapanlumo ang sitwasyong ng bansa natin ngayon. Bilang parte ng kabataan, nakakapagod po na halos linggo-linggo, araw-araw ay may paniagong pasabog na naman ang adminsitrasyon.," Anthony Jacob of Youth Resist said.

Civic leader Samira Gutoc pleaded for young people to break the culture of silence in the country.

"Our country is a young population but we are not cherishing the youth, we are punishing the youth!" Samira Gutoc said. "Instead of prevention of terrorism, this government is terrorizing those who are already terrrorized."

"Sa mga kababayan kong takot pa rin magsalita at nagsasabing kasalanan pa rin ng ABS-CBN, tignan nyo din ang kasalanan ng inyong administrasyon. Huwag pikit mata. The young people will stand against authoritarianism, young people will fight those who stand against democracy," Samira Gutoc said.

The participating youth organizations are as listed: Movement of Progressive Young Leaders Marawi, Youth for Sustainable Change Laguna , Milktea Alliance PH Bacolod, Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders (PANTAY), Movement to Advance Democracy (MAD), The Scarecrow PH, PNU Social Science Clubs, College of St Benilde Central Student Government, Innovative Youth Movement Olongapo, DLSU TAPAT, UP ALYANSA, The Bedan, Kalikha UPD, and Project Arte.

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