Valentine’s Day protest to show concern for Filipinos

LUCENA CITY – Activist priest Fr. Robert Reyes has called on the Filipino people to stand up and express their patriotic affection to the Motherland this Valentine’s Day.

“This special day, we are inviting everyone to let us all show our love and common concern to the present sorry plight of our country and our people,” Reyes, spokesperson of the group Gomburza, said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Gomburza, an organization of priests, nuns, religious brothers and the laity whose activism began during martial law under President Ferdinand Marcos, is a critic of President Duterte.

Reyes said Gomburza and different multi-sectoral groups would stage a protest activity dubbed “Valentine Vigil for the Motherland” at the People Power Monument along Edsa White Plains Avenue in Quezon City tomorrow (Feb. 13) around 3 p.m. until midnight.

“Do we still love the Philippines? If we truly love our country and fellow Filipinos, let us meet and proclaim our united protest against the ills of the Duterte administration to celebrate Valentine’s Day,” he said.

Reyes, also known as the “running priest” for initiating marathons to raise public awareness on social and political issues, said the protest would focus on the continued extrajudicial killings and human rights violations being committed by the authorities in the government’s bloody drug war.