Rights advocates gather at Bantayog to honor Martial Law heroes, martyrs

Human rights advocates on Monday flocked to Bantayog ng mga Bayani to honor the "heroes and martyrs" to mark the 48th anniversary of President Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of Martial Law.

Members of rights group Karapatan offered flowers at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

"The Marcos dictatorship was an era of brazen disregard of people's rights and civil liberties when democratic institutions became mere rubber stamps for authoritarian rule," Karapatan said in a statement.

The group also underscored "blatant efforts to undermine historical facts, the narratives of the victims and survivors of the dictatorship, and to establish another fascist rule under Rodrigo Duterte."

The group accused Duterte of using the COVID-19 pandemic to establish "what can only be described as a de facto martial law" by appointing former military and police generals to key government positions.

"Duterte is visibly desperate in tightening his grip on power as his last two years loom ahead," the group said.

The group also criticized the deployment of police and military forces in communities to enforce quarantine protocols as it allegedly resulted in human rights violations. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News