Duterte declares September 21 as 'National Day of Protest'

  MANILA – Groups opposing the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte have formed a miultisectoral coalition named #TindigPilipinas and called out the President for causing "national degradation" through punitive measures. This as Duterte announced on Monday that September 21 will be a "National Day of Protest". He clarified that it is not a holiday but there will be no classes and work in government offices nationwide on Thursday. September 21 is the 45th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos. "#TindigPilipinas was launched at the historic Club Filipino in the Metro Manila component city of San Juan. Corazon Aquino took her oath as President at the venue following the ouster of Marcos in the Edsa People Power Revolution in 1986. Since then, Club Filipino is where supporters of the Aquinos would gather for political or social events. #TindigPilipinas said in "statement of unity": "We lay the wrongdoings we see around us on the doorstep of the President. We also recognize that he is not doing this alone and that there are many others helping him along on this destructive path for whatever motives. But the end result is the same: national degradation." "We must overcome fear and apathy. We must summon our heritage of courage. We must speak out and unite in protest over the wrongs being committed." Former Civil Service Commission chairperson Karina Constantino-David, who is one of the convenors of multisectoral group, described #TindigPilipinas as a "coalition of coalitions of various groups seeking to expand nationwide and reach the grassroots." Opposition legislators from the Senate and House of Representatives are part of the coalition. #TindigPilipinas, meanwhile, said the country was "being led down a dark path filled with violence, contempt for law and hate; where honest debate is not only shouted down but every attempt at sobriety in public discourse is dismissed with threats." The group lambasted the Duterte administration for the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, hate speech, the weakening of democratic institutions, and the erosion of the nation's security and social stability, among other issues. The group, much like the Movement Against Tyranny (MAT) formed weeks ago, did not call for the ouster of Duterte but said they will call out the administration for any excesses and will seek transparency in government dealings. The coalition announced that they will gather at the University of the Philippines and at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) office on September 21 to unveil a monument of human rights lawyer and former senator Jose Diokno. Magdalo party-list Congressman Gary Alejano said they already anticipate being tagged as "yellows" - the color associated with the Aquinos. Alejano said: "We know that anyone who criticizes the policies of the President are called yellows. That should not stop us from coming together. "I am not a (member of the) Liberal (Party) but I have been called yellow. What is important here is that we are not afraid. The Liberal Party is the political group of former President Benigno Aquino III. Meanwhile, Duterte told reporters that September 21 will be a day of protest for everyone. Speaking in Filipino, Duterte said: "Everyone who wants to protest against the government, against the police, military, or everyone, come down and we will protest. We from the government, I will protest as well because our salaries are small. We have no equipment, no allowance.let's all protest the government." He warned protesters however against committing crimes during the protests saying: "For the life of me, I'm asking you: Do not commit crimes. No vandalism, no nothing because the police and even the Army will be at their barracks. The only thing you will see is traffic." GAC/Expat 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