Pro-Duterte poster altering Philippine flag violated law — NHCP
MANILA, Philippines — A banner featuring an altered Philippine flag, used by supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte, violated the law, according to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The historical body posted a photo of the altered flag on its social media page, which showed a Philippine flag with a green eagle placed on top. While the NHCP blurred out the text on the banner, a reverse image search revealed that the photo was sourced from X (formerly Twitter) user @kfinew, who stated that it came from a pro-Duterte rally in Melbourne, Australia.
“We stand with FPRRD (Former president Rodrigo Duterte)," the banner read.
“Ang larawan na ito ay lumalabag sa Batas Republika Blg. 8491 o ang ‘Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines’. Ang watawat ng Pilipinas ay simbolo ng pagka-Pilipino at ng ating bansa, kaya naman bigyan natin ito ng mataas na respeto,” the NHCP said in a Facebook post on Monday.
(This image is a violation of Republic Act 8491 or the ‘Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines’. The flag is a symbol of our Filipino identity and of our country, so it has to be given the highest respect.)
The law prohibited citizens “to add any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawings, advertisements, or imprint of any nature on the flag.”
There have been several rallies in support of the former president following his arrest and turn over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to his controversial drug war.
Meanwhile, there have also been rallies calling for justice, viewing the arrest as a step toward accountability for the families affected by the drug war. The ICC case has been a polarizing issue among Filipinos.
Amid the debates, it is reported that the drug war led to the deaths of at least 6,000 people, with human rights groups estimating that the number could be as high as 30,000.
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