TACLOBAN CITY- Students and other cause-oriented groups from this city held their protest rally to dramatize their demand that justice be served to the family of student Kian Loyd de los Santos last Monday(August 21).
The protest rally was initiated by the Kabataan Lihuk Magaaral (KLM) of University of the Philippines and the Partido Lakas Masa (PLM)-Sanlakas.
The protestors said that they are joining the family of Kian and other groups demanding that justice be served to the 17-year old student who died at the hands of Caloocan City police during an operation.
The groups also call that so-called extrajudicial killings be ended in the course of the brutal campaign on anti-illegal drugs being waged by administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We are doing this to fight for the rights of everyone who is a victim of war on drugs because this campaign killed a lot of innocent people like Kian Loyd de los Santos,” Larry Pascua, head of Partido Lakas Masa, said.
Pascua further said that the rally was organized coinciding on the death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino who they claimed to be a victim of injustice during the Marcos regime.
The rally, according to Pascua, would be the start for human rights activists to fight criminalities and injustices in order to protect their own rights.
“We are here to stand as the voice for those who are afraid to speak out and to push forward the rights of the people, “Pascua said. (JESSICA A. OLEVO, LNU Student Intern)