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Human rights group slams Duterte's 'tyrannical' ways

September 11, 2017 | 2:02pm

Human rights group slams Duterte's 'tyrannical' ways

In this photo provided by the Presidential Photographers Division, Malacanang Palace, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center, clad in a camouflage uniform prepares to board a helicopter from an undisclosed place to visit troops in Marawi city in southern Philippines Thursday, July 20, 2017. Duterte flew for the first time Thursday to the besieged southern city to cheer troops who have been trying to quell a nearly two-month uprising by Islamic State group-linked militants, who he warned were plotting to attack other cities. Second from right is Armed Forces Chief Gen. Eduardo Ano. Ace Morandante/Presidential Photographers Division, Malacanang Palace via AP

MANILA, Philippines — Human rights advocate group Karapatan Monday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte's threat of declaring martial law nationwide as well as his declaration of a holiday in Ilocos Norte for the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos' birthday.

“President Duterte’s continuing glorification of dictator Marcos and his threats of declaring martial law nationwide, ala-Marcos, are all ways of a tyrannical regime, amid the relentless extrajudicial killings in line with the war on drugs, counter-insurgency program Oplan Kapayapaan and Mindanao martial rule,” Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said in a statement.

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Karapatan together with other activist groups, including the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses to Malacañang (CARMMA) and the Samahan ng Ex-detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA), held a rally at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, where the Marcos family marked the late strongman's 100th birthday.

The group said Duterte’s pronouncement declaring September 11 as a holiday in Ilocos Norte on top of his conferment of a hero’s burial for Marcos Sr. last year, were “machinations to glorify a fascist and a plunderer.”

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“These shameless concessions handed by Duterte will whitewash Marcos’ heinous crimes against the Filipino people, while his family creeps back into power,” the group said.

The group further slammed Duterte's offer of a compromise deal with the Marcoses for the return of their ill-gotten wealth in exchange for the possible dropping of some of their cases pending before various courts.

“We should reject all forms of political rehabilitation of the Marcoses. The billions they siphoned off of public funds should be confiscated and given back to martial law victims and the people. They deserve punishment for their crimes, and their deeds are not any cause for celebration,” Palabay said.

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Palabay also scored Duterte’s recent statements threatening a nationwide martial law declaration if communists will stage a rebellion in the streets.

“Duterte is running out of excuses to expand martial law from Mindanao to the whole country, and at the same time, he is further laying the pretext for more State-instigated violence against peaceful assemblies and protests,” Palabay said.

“His recent threats are similar to Ferdinand Marcos’ wild conspiracy theories before declaring martial law,” she added.

READ: Marcos supporters, critics face off at Libingan