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Human Rights Day marked with protests vs Duterte's war on drugs

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ABS-CBN News

<figure class='op-interactive'><iframe allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/fvxGGS27hIU?rel=0&showinfo=0' width='560'></iframe></figure><p>Hundreds of Filipinos marked Human Rights Day on Saturday with street protests against the Duterte administration's bloody war against illegal drugs.</p><p>Around 400 protesters gathered in Mendiola, Manila to call on President Rodrigo Duterte to put a stop to the killings in the Philippines. Similar rallies are being held in some provinces, such as General Santos City in South Cotabato.</p><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-conversation='none' data-lang='en'><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Police estimate the crowd to be at 300-400 here at the <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/HumanRightsDay?src=hash'>#HumanRightsDay</a> protest in Mendiola. <a href='https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews'>@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href='https://t.co/wDEoqbyMma'>pic.twitter.com/wDEoqbyMma</a></p>— Primy Cane (@PrimyDc) <a href='https://twitter.com/PrimyDc/status/807434669205487616'>December 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src='http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' type='text/javascript'></script><p>This is as a total of 5,882 people have been <a href='http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/06/16/more-than-5800-killed-amid-war-on-drugs-pnp'>killed</a> across the country since Duterte launched his drug war, according to police data.</p><p>Mendiola protesters used creative signs to vent their anger at the alleged extra-judicial killings and the pending congressional proposal to revive the death penalty, among other issues.</p><p>Some signs read, "Heal, don't harm," "Bigas, hindi bala (Rice, not bullets)" and "Buhay, hindi bitay (Life, not death penalty)."</p><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-conversation='none' data-lang='en'><p dir="ltr" lang="tl">"Buhay hindi bitay," says this protester. <a href='https://twitter.com/hashtag/HumanRightsDay?src=hash'>#HumanRightsDay</a> <a href='https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews'>@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href='https://t.co/4qdaBFJZ2U'>pic.twitter.com/4qdaBFJZ2U</a></p>— Primy Cane (@PrimyDc) <a href='https://twitter.com/PrimyDc/status/807432430978154496'>December 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src='http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' type='text/javascript'></script><p>Rallyists also displayed a dummy covered in duct tape with a placard which said, "Si Digong ang dahilan, huwag tularan (Duterte is the reason, don't imitate him)," a play on the signs usually placed on slain suspects, warning people against selling or using drugs.</p><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-conversation='none' data-lang='en'><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Protesters place a dummy summary execution victim in front of the stage with a sign "Si Digong ang dahilan, Huwag tularan." <a href='https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews'>@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href='https://t.co/3y41Yyxe1b'>pic.twitter.com/3y41Yyxe1b</a></p>— Primy Cane (@PrimyDc) <a href='https://twitter.com/PrimyDc/status/807430794285195265'>December 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src='http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' type='text/javascript'></script><p>Protesters likewise used black parols to symbolize a "dark Christmas" for Filipino families because of the alleged human rights abuses.</p><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-conversation='none' data-lang='en'><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Black parols are held by protesters to symbolize a dark Christmas because of issues like the Death Penalty bill, EJKs. <a href='https://twitter.com/ABSCBNNews'>@ABSCBNNews</a> <a href='https://t.co/47RgPJbfmb'>pic.twitter.com/47RgPJbfmb</a></p>— Primy Cane (@PrimyDc) <a href='https://twitter.com/PrimyDc/status/807431188470038528'>December 10, 2016</a></blockquote><script async src='http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' type='text/javascript'></script><p>United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Maina Kiai was also in Mendiola for the event.</p><p>However, Kiai said that he was not there on official capacity, and only wanted to observe how Filipinos initiate social change through peaceful protests.</p><p>Protesters from different groups across the metro are expected to converge at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City later in the day for a concert that will last until midnight.- With reports from Primy Cane</p>

<p>Hundreds of Filipinos marked Human Rights Day on Saturday with street protests against the Duterte adiministration's bloody war against drugs.</p>

Hundreds of Filipinos marked Human Rights Day on Saturday with street protests against the Duterte adiministration's bloody war against drugs.