Filipinos hold protest action despite Duterte’s no-show at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit

A rally calling for peace, justice and life in the Philippines was held on 18 March at Town Hall Square in Sydney.

The rally was organised by the Movement Against Tyranny-Australia, an alliance of groups and individuals that aims to unite all freedom-loving Filipinos against the tyrannical rule of Duterte.

The group drew attention to the increasing fascism and militarist rule of the Duterte government and its impact on the Filipino people, including Filipino migrants.

Speakers from the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), Migrante Australia, GABRIELA Australia (alliance of Filipino women’s organisations), Action for Peace and Development in the Philippines addressed key issues such as war on drugs, war against the poor, the macho-fascist-misogynistic actions of Duterte, and Australia’s support to the Duterte government.

The rally coincided with the 23rd anniversary of Flor Contemplacion, the Filipina maid who was hanged in Singapore and who has become the symbol of the plight of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). The rally addressed the continuing neglect and lack of political will by the Philippine government to stop the exploitation of OFWs.

The protest action featured cultural actions by members of Migrante Kultura, the cultural arm of Migrante Australia (NSW).

Photos by JADE CADELINA