(Photo from the Facebook account of Stop the Killings)
Protesters commemorated on Wednesday the Cry of Pugad Lawin as the “Shout for Life,” expressing outrage over the death of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos in the drug war that has claimed the lives of thousands.
Some 30 members of the Stop the Killings Network, composed of different activist groups, brought their protest right at the gate of the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame.
The groups held a noise barrage and candle-lighting protest outside the EDSA gate of Camp Crame, which was immediately shut. A handful of civil disturbance management personnel were sent outside the gates to maintain peace and order.
Banjo Cordero, spokesperson of the Stop the Killings Network, said in a statement: “The police instead of protecting the people, are like the guardia civil during the Spanish era: abusive and anti-poor. This is evident in the war on drugs which has mainly targeted the poor and unleashed a spate of killings across the country.”
“Sigaw ng Balintawak noon. Sigaw ng mga biktima ng Tokhang ngayon,” the network said, referring to their commemoration of the Cry of Pugad Lawin that ushered the start of the 1896 revolution.
“We are urging the Duterte government to replace the war on drugs with a holistic program addressing the roots of poverty and underdevelopment,” Cordero said. “It should run after organized criminal syndicates instead of endorsing the mad killing spree in our communities.”
“Let us unite and shout out for life, for justice. Let our voices inspire others to resist brutality and repression,” he urged.
The Stop the Killings Network plan to join the funeral march for Kian on Sunday to “mourn with his family and also in solidarity (with) all the victims of Tokhang.” /atm