By JONAS ALPASAN
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – Terror team.
This is how a group of artists described today’s effigy for International Human Rights Day as they depicted the alliance between the Marcos and Duterte families and their bid for the country’s top political positions in the upcoming 2022 elections.
“The effigy shows and unmasks the “team” of the Marcoses and Dutertes, an alliance that is bound to spread terror in the country, that should be stopped, captured, and punished,” said Isis Molintas, one of the effigy artists and member of Ugat Lahi.
ATM. Progressive groups marching here at University Avenue, UP Diliman. Today is the International Day of Human Rights. pic.twitter.com/9G2i3nLKQR
— Bulatlat (@bulatlat) December 10, 2021
Protesters poke the “monsters” who are attempting to go back to power. pic.twitter.com/HVNH2u4wl7
— Bulatlat (@bulatlat) December 10, 2021
The effigy depicted President Duterte as a monster, who was accompanied by his daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio and the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. These served as today’s focal point for the human rights day protest, which was held at the University of the Philippines – Diliman this morning.
Today’s protest action comes just a day after the Supreme Court announced its decision to uphold the Anti-Terror Act of 2020, striking down portions of only two of its provisions, while the rest are considered constitutional and enforceable despite petitioners decrying that it may aggravate the country’s dire human rights situation.
Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said that as the elections draw near, it is a must to frustrate the return of the Marcoses and the extension of the Duterte administration.
“Today, we are called not only to vote for candidates and leaders that would uphold our rights: we are called as a people to stand for our hard-won rights and freedom, and to resist tyranny and dictatorship,” Palabay said.
SELDA, a group of former political prisoners, compared the nearly six years of President Duterte to the Marcos dictatorship, saying that the president is “nothing short of a Marcos copycat.”
“Just like during Martial Law, instead of addressing people’s urgent concerns, this administration has been obsessed with stifling dissent and intensified political persecution through blatant red-tagging, harassment, incarceration, killings, and enforced disappearances,” said Selda Vice Chairperson Danilo dela Fuente in a statement.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Kabataan Partylist said there is no moving on from the human rights record of the Duterte administration.
“Human rights record is not just about the number. It is about the lives, aspirations, and dignity that those in power stole,” said Kabataan Partylist president Raoul Manuel.
Molintas, one of the effigy artists from Ugatlahi, said, “this is a call to reject Marcos, Jr., and Duterte in the 2022 elections. They belong behind bars, as shown in the caged image of the three.” (JJE) 
