1K cops deployed around Metro Manila; protests deemed 'generally peaceful'

  MANILA – Critics and supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte staged rallies in Metro Manila and other cities across the country as the Philippines observed a National Day of Protest on Thursday. No untoward incidents happened in the rallies with Metro Manila Police Chief Oscar Albayalde saying that the protests were "generally peaceful" as of Thursday night. Administration critics called out Duterte for the extrajudicial killings of thousands of drug suspects in the conduct of the war on drugs called Oplan Tokhang (Double Barrel) and an alleged plot to reimpose Martial Law on the country. The police were not spared from criticism as they were lambasted for alleged abuses committed in the conduct of the drug war. Supporters of Duterte, on the other hand, expressed their unrelenting support for Duterte. Among those who join the pro-Duterte rallyists were Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. The demonstrators lauded Duterte for "bringing peace" to communities and that no one can take that back. Duterte had declared Thursday as a National Day of Protest to allow Filipinos to express their sentiments on the "excesses and shortcomings of the government." Although it was not declared a holiday, Duterte suspended work in government and classes in public schools on Thursday. According to CNN Philippines, Metro Manila police estimated that around 5,000 attended the anti-government demonstrations in Quezon City and Manila while 3,000 pro-Duterte supporters participated in the rally at Plaza Miranda in downtown Manila. Reports quoted the respective organizers of the rallies as saying that the number of rallyists were much higher than what the police gave. Critics of the administration including gathered in Mendiola and at the University of the Philippines and at Commission on Human Rights (CHR) office in Quezon. Then they all converged at Rizal Park. Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and opposition senators joined the rallies in Quezon City. The "End Tyranny" rallies organized by various groups were the largest so far against the Duterte administration. The protesters called for an end to extrajudicial killings and for the administration to desist from declaring Martial Law nationwide. The rallyists used the hashtag #NeverAgain. In Mendiola, demonstrators burned a "Rody's Cube", a Rubik's Cube-like effigy with faces of Duterte, the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and Adolf Hitler. At Rizal Park, a concert was held featuring celebrities opposing the administration. The group then rang bells and joined the nationwide ringing of church bells called for by the Catholic Bishops Council of the Philippines (CBCP) against extrajudicial killings. Six hundred anti-riot police were assigned at Rizal Park for the demonstration, CNN Philippines said. As anti-government protesters rallied at Mendiola, there was also a group of pro-Duterte rallyists nearby led by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Chair Martin Diño, who said: "We want to inform our fellowmen, our president that we are here to support, that no one can take back the peace we are experiencing now." At Plaza Miranda, Secretary Cusi said the President declared a National Day of Protest to allow the citizens to air their sentiments. "This only happened to give chance to the regular citizens to freely express their support." The Plaza Miranda event was organized by Duterte's party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, and groups that helped the President in the 2016 elections such as the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee and Digong Duterte Supporters, according to a Philippine Daily Inquirer report. Meanwhile, as rallies were staged in Metro Manila and other cities like Davao, Cebu, General Santos, Duterte was in Marawi on Thursday and spent the whole day with soldiers fighting the Maute terrorists in the besieged Mindanao city. Duterte was accompanied by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces Chief Eduardo Año and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go, as he motored to Marawi from the 2nd Mechanized Brigade headquarters in Iligan City at 5 p.m. During Duterte's visit - his fifth to the city and the second this month, the President said the war on drugs will continue despite what he described as "unnecessary deaths", for which he said those responsible would be prosecuted. "The war on drugs will continue. There will be no letup," he said. Duterte reiterated his earlier pronouncement that no celebration would take place when the military finally liberates Marawi from the Maute and Abu Sayyaf gunmen. Duterte said soldiers would quietly leave the city after clearing it of the Islamic State-linked terrorists and improvised explosive devices. He also said the end of fighting in Marawi would lead to the lifting of Martial Law, which he declared on Mindanao on May 23 following the raid on the capital of Lanao del Sur province. 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