By Kasheena Camacho

MANILA — Groups of progressive lawyers on Wednesday condemned the alleged illegal interrogation and political profiling of youth activists arrested during the People’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27. The lawyers alleged that seven of them were questioned without the presence of legal counsel. 

In a statement, the lawyers said that on July 28, after the inquest on complaints filed by the Quezon City Police District and Meralco, the seven detainees were taken in groups to a conference room and questioned without the presence of lawyers. 

“The interrogation was conducted by three unidentified men who introduced themselves as lawyers or paralegals affiliated with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the NUPL. When asked to present identification, they refused, claiming that their identities were confidential. They proceeded to question the detainees using a document titled ‘Custodial Debriefing Report,’ prominently marked ‘SECRET’ in red,” the lawyers said in a statement. 

The statement was released by the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), Public Interest Law Center (PILC), Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra), Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center (PLACE), and NUPL–National Capital Region. They called for an independent investigation into the incident and demanded accountability from the Philippine National Police.

NUPL said none of the three individuals who questioned the detainees were its lawyers, paralegals, or authorized representatives.

Last Monday, July 27, members of the PNP arrested 51 protesters. Forty-two of those arrested, including 12 minors, have been released, while nine remain detained and are facing complaints of malicious mischief, direct assault, and obstruction of justice. 

Rights groups said the reported interrogation raises concerns over alleged violations of constitutional rights during custodial investigation and the political profiling of activists.

Read: ‘Overkill’ | Groups slam police arrests of activists during SONA 2026 protest

Among those arrested were hip-hop artist Vitrum, a member of Alyansa Laban sa Korapsyon at Brutalidad ng Pulis (AKAB) and HipHop United Against Corruption. 

Amplifying the voice of the people 

In a video statement released by AKAB, Vitrum said artists joined the People’s SONA to amplify what they described as the realities confronting ordinary Filipinos—issues they believed were absent from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s annual address.

“The People’s SONA is our opportunity to present the people’s real State of the Nation—not the one-sided narrative or falsehoods presented by the government, but the reality experienced by Filipinos facing economic crises and widespread corruption,” Vitrum said.

According to Vitrum, artists and youth groups used performances, speeches, and protest art to highlight issues such as rising prices, low wages, corruption, and increasing electricity costs.

One of the artworks that drew attention during the mobilization was the graffiti reading “Meralco Sindikato,” painted along Commonwealth Avenue.

“That artwork was simply an expression of people’s frustration over soaring electricity bills. Regardless of who people voted for, everyone is affected by rising electricity costs. It was meant to amplify the demands not only of protesters but of ordinary Filipinos,” he said.

The graffiti later became one of the bases for the complaints filed against the remaining detainees. Aside from the charges lodged by the PNP, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) filed a complaint over the “Meralco Sindikato” graffiti painted during the mobilization.

According to Vitrum, the mobilization proceeded without incident until police began making arrests. “We heard officers shouting, ‘Arrest everyone wearing black. Those who look like hip-hop artists.’ There was no warrant and no explanation. We were targeted because of how we looked and what we were wearing,” he said.

Vitrum alleged that protesters who attempted to leave the area were cornered and arrested despite not committing any violent acts.

“People tried to protect themselves because there was no legal basis for the arrests. We were cornered, arrested without warrants, and later accused of fabricated offenses. It was a mass arrest carried out without legal justification,” Vitrum said.

The nine protesters who remained in detention later underwent inquest proceedings before the Quezon City Office of the City Prosecutor.

Profiling 

The interrogators allegedly asked about the detainees’ families, educational background, employment, tattoos, social media accounts, and alleged links to organizations such as “Vandals United,” “Skateboarders United,” and “Junkie Rebels Crew,” despite repeated denials from the detainees.

The legal groups said the questions appeared intended to profile activists and gather intelligence on organizations engaged in activities protected by the Constitution.

“Their focus on organizational affiliations, internal structures, and the identities of other individuals points to an effort to profile activists, map their associations, and gather intelligence on organizations engaged in lawful and constitutionally protected activity,” the groups said.

The groups added that the reported interrogation violated Article III, Section 12 of the 1987 Constitution and Republic Act No. 7438, which guarantee the right of persons under custodial investigation to remain silent and to have competent and independent legal counsel during questioning.

In a separate statement, Karapatan described the reported interrogation as psychological torture under Republic Act No. 9745, or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009. The group said detainees were allegedly questioned without counsel, pressured to identify fellow protesters, and compelled to admit membership in an organization called “Vandals United.”

Both the lawyers’ groups and Karapatan called on the PNP to identify the individuals who conducted the alleged interrogation, preserve records related to the questioning, and hold accountable everyone responsible. They likewise urged the CHR to conduct an independent investigation into the reported denial of counsel, alleged intimidation, and the circumstances under which the unidentified men gained access to the detainees.

Despite the arrests and the charges filed against some protesters, Vitrum said artists and activists would continue organizing and using cultural work to amplify the demands of ordinary Filipinos.

“What happened was simply an exercise of freedom of expression. No one committed violence. We were arrested for expressing ourselves through art. As long as the people’s problems remain unresolved, we will continue to organize and continue to speak out,” Vitrum said in the video statement released by AKAB.

The lawyers and human rights groups, meanwhile, continue to call for the dismissal of the charges against the remaining detainees, their immediate release, and an independent investigation into the alleged illegal interrogation, denial of counsel, political profiling, and other reported violations of the detainees’ constitutional rights committed during and after the People’s SONA mobilization. (AMU, RVO)