MANILA, Philippines — Several groups, students and religious leaders gathered to call on President Rodrigo Duterte to free all political prisoners, whom they said are being illegally detained.
Earlier this month, the president said that he would allow the release of old and sick political prisoners before Christmas.
"There’s really no point in detaining a person who is old and sick," Duterte said.
Duterte, however, said that he cannot release more than 400 political prisoners as the National Democratic Front of the Philippines wants. The president, who identifies as a leftist, said that he has already conceded a lot to the NDF and that the prisoners are his "ace" in negotiations.
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— Video edit by Efigenio Toledo IV