Around 100 rallyists gathered in Plaza Miranda to fight for civil liberties and oppose martial law in Mindanao on Monday in commemoration of Independence Day.

PO2 Marco Moulic of Plaza Miranda police station said there are about 100 participants from different organizations who joined a protest in Plaza Miranda at 9:00 am.

Obet Belandres, campaign committee of Akbayan said the participants came from Akbayan partylist, Akbayan youth, Forward Progressives, Sentro, Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya, The Silent Majority, Knight of Democracy and other organizations.

Former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Etta Rosales and Senator Rissa Hontiveros joined the gathering.

Rosales said air strikes and martial law in Mindanao should be stopped and instead a democratic way should be used to solve the problem caused by the Maute terrorists.

“Conventional warfare …in an urban setting it is rather stupid. Marawi City is an urban area. They should stop it. They should lift martial law and political process must be principled,”, she said.

Rosales said the Maute group is using guerilla tactics and the government will not win using a conventional war.

“Our freedom can only be guaranteed by strong democratic institutions”, Hontiveros said.

She called Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II a “shameless charlatan” after Aguirre ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate senators and leaders who are allegedly part of a destabilization plot against the government.

“The justice secretary’s order is a form of intimidation and a waste of taxpayer’s money. It is also an insult to the sacrifices of our soldiers fighting in Marawi. Soldiers and innocent people are dying in Marawi, yet, the shameless charlatan posing as justice secretary is still busying himself with fake cases and fake news”, Hontiveros said a statement. Alanna Ambi/DMS