AT least nine activists were killed during a coordinated crackdown by security forces on civil liberties groups tagged as “communist fronts” in four provinces just south of the capital Manila. The raids happened just two days after Duterte ordered security forces to “kill” and “finish off” armed communist rebels, without regard for human rights. Civil rights activists said they have seen crackdowns by security forces against them intensify since Duterte signed the “anti-terror law” last year. But human rights groups said the law is being used to crack down on activists criticising Duterte’s drug war and human rights record. At least 300 activists, including 55 lawyers and judges who were tagged as communist sympathisers, have been killed since Duterte became president in 2016.

Source: The Star March 07, 2021 10:07 UTC