Youth and student groups led by Anakbayan today held protest actions in various schools in Metro Manila and major urban centers across the country to express solidarity with the people of Marawi and call on President Duterte to retract the Martial Law declaration he imposed on the entire island of Mindanao.
“Even as we condemn the incidents that have endangered civilian lives in Marawi, Lanao del Sur we believe that Martial Law will only aggravate the security situation on the ground and worse, result in gross violations of human rights,” said Anakbayan National Chairperson Vencer Crisostomo.
Protest actions were held today afternoon at the University of the Philippines Diliman Palma Hall, Ateneo de Manila University Gate 2.5, and University of Santo Tomas Gate 2 in Metro Manila. Protest actions were also held noontime in Iloilo City and Cebu City. Youth and students also joined protests in at Plaza Miranda.
Anakbayan emphasized that the Martial Law Declaration in supposed response to the alleged Abu Sayaff and Maute group offensives in Marawi not only represents a clear expansion of military rule beyond the present theatre of AFP’s operations against the said groups but more endangers the rights of countless civilians in Mindanao.
“We find it disconcerting that that a so-called AFP operation against Maute group leaders timed with Duterte’s Russia visit ends up with the imposition of military rule over the country’s second largest island. This is a clear concession to US-backed pro-oligarch militarists in the Duterte cabinet,” said Crisostomo.
The group condemned Department of National Defense Secretary Lorenzana’s orders to use Duterte’s Martial Law order to intensify the “all-out war” counterinsurgency operations in Mindanao against the Communist-led revolutionary movement, saying this is a stumbling block to the Filipino people’s aspirations for a just and lasting peace.
“With the Martial Law declaration, we fear for the safety of those engaged in the the struggle for land, such as the Lumads who have been met with violence from state security forces. This sets the stage for the wholesale violation of human rights by the state forces that have historically shown the capacity to do so,” said Crisostomo.
Anakbayan warned Duterte that Philippine history itself has demonstrated the failure of Martial Law to address the roots of armed conflict. If anything, indiscriminate military operations, aerial bombings, extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests, and other rights violations is only bound to fuel more resistance.
“We urge the president to not toy for whatever reason with the possibility of expanding Martial Law to the rest of the country. We call on the Filipino youth and people to stand against any moves to deprive the people their political rights and civil liberties,” said Crisostomo.