Peaceful protests vowed

MANILA, Philippines — Progressive groups yesterday vowed that today’s rallies commemorating the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law would be peaceful and orderly, and they would not give the Duterte administration any excuse to declare martial law.

“It is not in the interest of the protesters to engage in violence and be used by Duterte as a scapegoat for his martial law fantasy,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary-general Renato Reyes said in a statement.

Reyes said among the issues that the groups would protest are the continuous rise of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) related to the administration’s anti-drug war, militarization in the countryside, burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and Duterte and his allies’ aggressive attacks against constitutional bodies such as the Commission on Human Rights, Office of the Ombudsman and Supreme Court.

The group would also protest any plan of the administration to declare martial law nationwide.

Early this month, Duterte said he would not hesitate to declare nationwide martial law if the communist group creates “destruction and trouble” on the streets. 

“There has been a snowballing support for the rally in Rizal Park coming from various sectors. The issues are well-defined: extrajudicial killings, martial law, militarization, war in Marawi, attacks on institutions, Marcos restoration and the march toward dictatorship of the Duterte regime,” Reyes said.

Rights group Karapatan also vowed to hold a peaceful rally, noting the public must remain vigilant on Duterte’s dictatorial tendencies.

“Activists, students, concerned citizens and several other progressive organizations and individuals will march to Luneta and to different protest centers within and outside the Philippines to condemn the deteriorating human rights situation in the country,” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said.

“Sept. 21 reminds us of the atrocities committed during the Marcos martial law era. We stand in vigilance against Duterte’s national declaration of martial rule,” Palabay said.

Aside from protesting the summary killings, especially those supposedly involving policemen, Palabay said they would also urge the Duterte administration to put an end to harassment and intimidation of members and leaders of progressive organizations and dissenters, she said.