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| Anti-SONA rally called for an end to Duterte's rule |
Human rights campaigners and militant migrant workers groups
joined hands in a protest rally at the Consulate today to call for “people
power” to oust Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The rally, held in the afternoon outside and inside the
Consulate premises in United Centre building in Admiralty, coincided with the
opening of President Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address.
According to Eman Villanueva, one of the organizers, the
call for ending Duterte’s rule was triggered by his latest consolidation of
power in the House of Representatives.
“Wala na tayong aasahan pang pagbabago, kumpleto na ang mga
rekado ng isang dictatorship,” Villanueva said.
Duterte’s bid to control the country, according to him,
started with the ouster of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno last year,
followed by the administration bets’ complete sweep of the spurious senatorial
elections in May.
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| Villanueva says there is no more hope for reconciliation with the government |
Lately, the administration flexed more muscles when it filed
sedition allegations against popular opposition figures led by Vice President
Leni Robredo, and even leaders of the Catholic Church.
In a statement, the protesters made up of overseas Filipino
workers, church people and concerned individuals, said they were declaring
unity and solidarity “to denounce and stop President Rodrigo Duterte's reign of
dictatorship, tyranny and fascism.”
In the three years since Duterte took power, they said
poverty has intensified while wages remained low, farmers have been hurt by a
flood of imported agricultural produce, and the skyrocketing of prices has hurt
everyone, including the middle class.
Further, “the stench of corruption is everywhere, with
favored companies and individuals siphoning the public treasury,” said the
statement. But instead of being punished, the plunderers are allegedly pardoned
and given lucrative government posts.
Worst of all, they said the administration’s “tokhang”
campaign being waged in the name of drugs has resulted in the loss of 30,000
lives.
Even OFWs have not gained anything under the Duterte
administration, they said. Promises to abolish the OEC (overseas employment
certificate), bring back direct hiring, step up support for OFWs in distress,
including the provision of free medical care, have all come to naught.
Instead of helping OFWs improve their lives, the government
has allegedly imposed additional burden on them like mandatory SSS and
Philhealth contributions, resulting to additional fees of about Php11,400 per
worker.
“We want an independent, economically prosperous and
freedom-loving Philippines
The groups called on all Filipinos to rally behind their
call to fight back against “Duterte’s anti-people, anti-worker, anti-poor
policies, his treachery and puppetry and his authoritarianism and dictatorship.”
In a separate statement, the protesters welcomed the United
Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution seeking investigation into the human
rights situation in the Philippines
They commended Iceland
The resolution, issued on Jul 11, "urges the government
of the Philippines
It also urges the Philippine government to cooperate with
the Office of the High Commissioner and the mechanisms of the Human Rights
Council, including by facilitating country visits and preventing and refraining
from all acts of intimidation or retaliation.
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