Hundreds of protesters, many of whom were women, marched through Manila, on Tuesday, demanding the lifting of the Martial Law implemented on Mindanao, as Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte seeks an extension of restrictive measures until the end of 2017.
The protesters descended on the Malacanang Palace’s gates, the official residence of the President, holding signs that denounced the use of rape as a “tool of war”. Arlene Brosas, Congresswoman and representative of the Gabriela Women’s Party, present at the protest, asserted that those who suffer under Martial Law are the “poor and oppressed”.
President Duterte imposed Martial Law on the Philippines’ second largest island, after clashes between the insurgents from the Maute group and government forces escalated. The group are allegedly linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIL/ISIS).