Never again: martial law protests held in NYC

Less than 24 hours after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte  declared martial law in the entire island of Mindanao while in Russia — anti-martial law protesters took to the streets in Woodside, Queens, calling for peace and security in Marawi and the immediate lifting of martial law.

“The biggest fear right now is history has already shown us that martial law leads to egregious human rights abuses,” said Bernadette Ellorin of Bayan USA. “Killings, abductions, torture, displacement, bombings… so the Filipino people don’t want that anymore…”

Unless you are a supporter of the president.

“Ang gobyerno di magpapatalo yan, kung kontra ka sa gobyerno kailangan mawala ka, kung kailangan patayin ka nila, patayin ka nila, ganun lang yun,” said Rusty Corpuz, a Duterte supporter. “Ay eto hindi ako pabor sa mga yan, mga bata yan, anong malay nila sa martial law, may sumusuporta lang sa mga yan…”

“I cannot blame all those who suffered during martial law, and if they have ideas na parang bumabalik sa kanila but at the same time we want to trust the president,” said supporter Omar Ali. “I am against declaring martial law all over the country, if it gets to that.”

Labor rights lawyer Attorney Felix Vinluan believes President Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao is an overkill to what he calls a “local peace and order situation” in Marawi City.

Vinluan says, this martial law declaration should be challenged in Philippine courts and stopped before it becomes a nationwide martial law.

“We’ve been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I think lumalabas yung dictatorial tendencies niya, no wonder he’s so friendly with the Marcoses,” he said.

A son of Veteran muslim politician Ali Dimaporo has this message to the president: “We believe in you President Duterte, so we know you’re very extra cautious with the martial law that you’re trying to have right now, ang hope lang is sana nga, it is for the good of the people.”

Kababayans in the Big Apple plan to continue their anti-martial law demonstrations until Duterte withdraws his bid for absolute power over Mindanao.