Thousands of supporters and critics of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte staged rallies yesterday for and against his threat to declare a “revolutionary government”, which has fuelled fears of a looming dictatorship.
Duterte warned last month he is prepared to establish a “revolutionary government” to fend off alleged efforts to oust him.
He railed against the press, European lawmakers and other critics of his drug war, which has left thousands dead and led rights groups to warn of a crime against humanity.
Duterte, who has courted Beijing while loosening his nation’s alliance with Washington, also alleged the US Central Intelligence Agency was part of a plot to destabilise him, and warned he would jail all of his opponents as well as the communist leaders.
Duterte’s critics fear the 72-year-old, who has repeatedly threatened to impose martial law, is intent on dragging the country back into dictatorship and allow himself more freedom in prosecuting his drug war.
Under his centrepiece anti-drug campaign, police have said they have killed almost 4,000 “drug personalities” but human rights activists charge that thousands more have been killed by vigilantes and rogue policemen.
Yesterday, Pro-Duterte and anti-Duterte protesters, each rally numbering more than 2,000, gathered in front of the presidential palace in Manila with riot police separating them.
Both groups were largely garbed in red – the traditional Filipino colour for revolutionary movements.
The Duterte supporters waved banners saying ‘We support revolutionary government’, while the other side carried signs saying ‘Fight the Duterte dictatorship’.
The pro-Duterte crowd was allowed to stage their rally in peace, but riot police used fire hoses to drive back the anti-Duterte protesters as they tried to move closer to the palace.
The rallies were staged on a holiday honouring the 154th birth anniversary of Filipino revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio, with the Philippine leader’s critics burning a giant effigy of him while chanting “Down with Duterte!”
Duterte was elected last year largely on an incendiary law-and-order platform in which he promised to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing 100,000 people.
He has repeatedly expressed impatience with the country’s current laws and constitution, saying they impede progress and do not allow him to fully crack down on crime and corruption.
While surveys show he retains wide popularity, opposition to Duterte has been growing in the face of increasing charges of human rights abuses being carried out under his rule.
Thousands of protesters clashed with police in the Philippine capital yesterday, as they denounced President Rodrigo Duterte’s threat to declare a revolutionary government.
More than 2,000 left-wing activists, farmers, workers and students marched to the Malacanang presidential palace, but were blocked by anti-riot police officers a few kilometres away.
Police used water cannons to break up the protest, but the demonstrators fought back, hitting officers with their banners and throwing objects at them.
An undisclosed number of demonstrators and police officers were injured in the clash, according to officials and organisers.
“A monstrous beast is...setting up a fascist rule in Malacanang,” the Peasant Movement of the Philippines, one of the participating groups, said in a statement. “We will fight and oust Duterte. We are fighting for life and democracy.”
“Enough of the killings and human rights violations...Enough of Duterte,” the statement added.
In October, Duterte warned he would set up a revolutionary government and dismiss all people in government positions to fight the critics allegedly attempting to destabilise his administration.
Duterte’s aides later said the president was merely expressing frustration when he threatened to declare revolutionary government.