CEBU, Philippines - The killing of over 7,000 individuals in the administration’s war against drugs that overshadowed the 3,000 deaths during Martial Law might signal the “resurgence of dictatorship.”
Akbayan Youth organizer Justine Balane said this careless approach signals the peak of the “resurgence of dictatorship,” warning people to be vigilant with the re-emergence of the authoritarian rule.
He said even politicians who are staunch critics of President Rodrigo Duterte, such as Senator Leila de Lima, are imprisoned with no sufficient evidence.
Meanwhile, in the wake of a reported destabilization plot, Duterte’s staunch supporters held a caravan around Metro Cebu and held a rally of their own to express their support for the administration.
The organizers, composed mostly of Cebuano volunteers in the last election, said the activity is their way of celebrating the 31st anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution.
Militant workers, on the other hand, joined the nationwide rallies yesterday commemorating the anniversary of the people power uprising and rejected the call by Malacañang to “move on.”
Dennis Derige, Partido Manggagawa – Cebu spokesperson, instead expressed apprehension at the suppression of political dissent with de Lima’s recent arrest.
Derige said workers defend civil liberties because political freedom is a necessity in fighting for and winning labor demands.
“Don’t move on. Don’t revise history. Let’s go rogue. Level up EDSA. Power to the people not a democracy of trapos.” Derige said.
In the pro-Duterte rally, organizers said the activity is a show of force that they are behind the President amid what they call as destabilization plots hurled against the Duterte administration.
One of the organizers, Dr. Rowena Burden, said they want the President to know that his Cebuano voters are on the streets to express their support to him.
"Right now it is our time and we are protecting our President and we are asking you to stay away. If you try to dislodge our President illegally then we will fight back," said Burden.
She added more than 40 different organizations joined the "reunion rally" that aims to protect Duterte and his Presidency.
Aside from the motorcade, the group also provided free t-shirt printing showing designs of Duterte and General Bato Dela Rosa’s faces.
The organizers had a boodle fight lunch where they ate the Digong's Spanish Sardines.
"Grabe ang iyang gi-face nga challenges karon and naa ra mi diri behind you President Duterte. As you continue to fight for us, we will continue to fight for you," said Cebuano basketball star Dondon Hontiveros.
Lawyer Bruce Rivera, called as the "defense minister" for defending the president in the social media platform, is calling Duterte supporters to continue their unwavering support amidst rumors of destabilization.
"We just heard about it, and we cannot be complacent. We continue to be vigilant," Rivera said.
Another pro-Duterte group, the Kilusang Pagbabago (KP)-Visayas, also had a caravan and relief goods distribution to fire victims.
“Let us exert our energies towards helping the administration and be partners for change. The Duterte administration continues to enjoy the support of the Filipino people. President Duterte needs us during this critical period of transition,” said KP-Visayas convenor Doris Mongaya.
Lawyer Vincent Isles of the Silent Majority Cebu chapter told reporters yesterday that their afternoon activity was a simple gathering to commemorate the People Power Revolution that threatens to resurface with the present challenges in the socio-political landscape.
He said the death of over 7,000 people after the present administration waged war against illegal drugs should not be ignored especially when these people were not afforded with justice.
This spate of vigilante-style killings are human rights violation that also happened during the dictatorial regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, who was ousted through people’s revolution.
Their group did not let fear stop them to demonstrate their protest action, marching along the stretch of Osmeña Boulevard from Metro Colon to Plaza Independencia.
Their battle cry is to oppose the recurrence of dictatorship and to defend or protect the rights of the people.
Isles said these killings have trampled the rights of the people, even if they are involved to the illegal drug trade.
He added that one of the principles of criminal law procedures is that a person is “presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
Isles also clarified that they are not against the President, rather, they oppose the policies that the President wants to impose or has been promoting.
These groups were the same people who are rallying in junking the two proposals that seek to revive death penalty and to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to nine years old.
Isles pointed out that people should “go back” to the society that upholds morality.
“We are not a killing people,” he said,
Former Martial Law detainees lawyer Democrito Barcenas and retired Judge Meinrado Paredes joined the program yesterday denouncing the spate of killing in the country in the guise of a fight against drugs.
A Mass was also offered for the victims of extrajudicial killings, drug-related crimes and human rights’ abuses. —/GAN (FREEMAN)