Duterte recognizes people’s fear of martial law return

President Rodrigo Duterte speaks after the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected Board of Trustees of the Philippine National Police Academy Alumni Association Inc. (PNPAAAI) in Malacañan Palace on Wednesday, Sept, 20, 2017. (Photo by ACE MORANDANTE / Presidential Photographers Division)

President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged the Filipinos’ fear of a return of the numerous human rights violations and massive corruption that marked the martial law era under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in declaring Sept. 21 National Day of Protest.

In his Proclamation 319 dated Sept. 19, Mr. Duterte listed the atrocities that the people remember about Marcos’ martial rule.

“The martial law era that began with the promulgation of Proclamation 1081 (series 1972) has imprinted itself in the collective memory of the people as a time attended by the commission of gross human rights violations, arbitrary state interventions, rampant corruption and disregard of fundamental civil liberties,” he said in his proclamation.

“This administration recognizes the fear and indignation of the people against a repetition and perpetuation of such human rights violations and all other failings of the government,” he added.

Mr. Duterte said he was declaring a day of protest “in solidarity with the people’s call against all excesses and shortcomings of the government, and with the people’s desire to uphold the highest standards of integrity, efficiency and accountability in government.”

He called on local governments to dispense with the permit requirements for public assemblies, marches and demonstrations.

He also directed the police and other law enforcement authorities to observe maximum restraint.