by GINO ESTELLA
PHOTO/Democracy Now
Hundreds of students spoke out against the rising number of killings, with the continuation of the counterinsurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, now coupled with President Duterte’s war on drugs.
Youth groups Anakbayan and League of Filipino Students (LFS) led simultaneous candle-lighting protests on August 11, at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman and Manila campuses, Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila and the University of Sto. Tomas in España, Manila.
“We don’t want to have a country where we are forced to live with fear…There is no justifiable reason for any forms of killings—may it be drug-related or political. We urge the president, let us end this,” LFS national spokesperson JP Rosos said, at the gathering held amid heavy downpour in UP Diliman.
“President Duterte should understand that the youth and students are behind him in his crusade to annihilate drugs in the Philippines, but not the summary killings,” Rosos said.
The drug problem in the country stems from extreme poverty, Rosos said. The dire situation of the poor is being used by drug lords to lure them into having drugs.
The youth protesters also noted political killings perpetrated by suspected government soldiers and paramilitary group in the countryside. Rosos said military operations continue to threaten the lives of farmers and indigenous people, especially the Lumad in Mindanao.
In a statement, Anakbayan national chairperson Vencer Crisostomo said that they laud the new administration’s efforts “to crackdown on illegal drugs” in the country, but added that it can never be accomplished with “indiscriminate killings and repression.”
“Human rights have been sacrificed in the conduct of the anti-drug drive, with those holding the gun assuming the roles of both accusers and executioners,” Crisostomo said. He pointed out that right to life and due process should be respected. “It is impossible to ascertain innocence or guilt if the accused are simply shot on the spot.”
Bulatlat for more