Metro Manila, Philippines – A lawyer group said calls by some sectors for the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was not seditious in contrast to the remarks of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla in the wake of anti-corruption protests.
In a statement, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) said it was an exercise of freedom of expression under the Constitution.
“The public demand for the resignation of a president accused of tolerating or enabling anomalous infrastructure projects is a legitimate expression of indignation in response to the State’s own failure to investigate, much less prosecute, the officials responsible for the misuse of public funds,” it said on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The NUPL also said Remulla’s warning “signals the government’s intent to further chill dissent rather than confront the issues raised,” adding that it “foreshadows” possible “aggressive attempts” against a planned Nov. 30 rally against corruption.
“If the pattern holds, the State may again resort to brutality and violations of basic rights in an effort to suppress protected acts of discontent and dissent,” the group said.
Remulla on Monday, Nov. 17, said speakers from the United People’s Initiative (UPI) were “close to inciting sedition” in their rally on Nov. 16 at the EDSA People Power monument in Quezon City.
“So i-investigate namin sila. Yung mga ganyang klaseng salita have no place in a civil society,” Remulla told reporters at Camp Crame.
[Translation: So we will investigate them. Those types of words have no place in a civil society.]
The Quezon City government rejected UPI’s proposal to hold a rally for another day after supposedly violating the terms and conditions of its permit.
NewsWatch Plus intern Kirstien Santos contributed to this report.
