Trigger warning: violence, death, murder
A few days after Duterte ordered the police and military to kill people and forget about human rights, the gruesome massacre of various activists and environmental defenders happened.
Anti-reclamation mass leader Ka Manny Asuncion, fisherfolk leaders Chai and Ariel Evangelista, disaster survivors and relief operations members Melvin Dasigao and Makmak Bacasno were among the 9 people who were killed that day. 4 human rights defenders were also detained that same day.
To date, at least 30 activists were killed in Southern Tagalog ever since Duterte stepped in office. It is clear that the current administration has absolutely zero care about the lives of the innocent, painting them as terrorists then killing them the next day. The issue of red-tagging and terror-tagging has been rapidly increasing with the government being the number 1 perpetuator of this act to silence everyone that speaks up about the incompetence of the administration.
We stand in solidarity with the defenders in Southern Tagalog. We call for justice for the slain and for the arrested to be free. We call for the removal of the Anti-terrorism Law, the tool used to legalize the arrests and justify the killings of activists.
We call for the green new leadership we have always mentioned, a leadership that will put the people and the planet over their own political and personal gain.
This week has been hard for all of us, but as we mourn, we are also filled with rage. The people, united, will never be defeated.
#DefendTheDefenders
#StopTheAttacks
#DefendST
Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines 