FREE THE PROTESTERS! Jail the corrupt and plunderers!

Human Rights Alert!

Yesterday, on the 53rd anniversary of Marcos Sr.’s bloody Martial Law, thousands took to the streets to protest the repression, fascism, and corruption of Marcos Jr. Like his father, he responded with violence to the people’s legitimate calls for their democratic rights and interests.

More than 300 protesters have now been arrested in a brutal police crackdown. Among those arrested was Mattheo Wovi Villanueva, a student of the College of Arts and Letters at UP Diliman, who also served as a paralegal and security marshal for the rally. He was violently kicked and stomped on by the police during his arrest. Demonstrators were met with tear gas, beatings, and water cannons. One has been confirmed dead from either police gunfire or assault. To this day, lawyers, paralegals, and even family members of those arrested are still being denied access to the victims of state violence.

Additionally, Malacañang Palace branded the protesters as criminals – a statement clearly meant to delegitimize the anger of the people and justify their arrests. But the real criminals are those in Malacañang, who continue to plunder public funds and rob the Filipino people of a better future, all while being shielded by the military and the police.

The Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines strongly condemns the brutality of the Marcos Jr. regime. This only proves his utter disregard for the cries of a people suffering from corruption and a rotten system of governance. Marcos Jr. must be held accountable for the wounds inflicted and the lives lost as a result of his violent repression.

We stand in solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle for justice, accountability, and the defense of human rights.

#StopKorap