Rally for Kian today

MANILA, Philippines - Church bells will peal and a minute of silence will be observed at the hour of his death while a rally for justice will be held tonight by relatives, friends and supporters of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos to protest what they described as “a senseless killing by the very people who have sworn to protect the public.”

The rally, dubbed “Himagsikan para kay Kian,” will be held at the People Power Monument in Quezon City at 6 p.m., coinciding with the 34th death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

University professor Sylvia Claudio announced the planned rally on a Facebook post Saturday.

“If possible, no organizational posters. Let’s make this about our common humanity,” Claudio said.

Former education secretary and now De La Salle Philippines president Armin Luistro called for a minute of silence to remember Delos Santos.

“May I propose a minute of silence every night at 8:24 to remember Kian Loyd delos Santos and all innocent victims of merciless deaths in our land.”

A CCTV footage showed Delos Santos was dragged by two men at 8:24 p.m. Wednesday in Caloocan City before he was found dead.

Luistro and other former education officials visited the wake of the Grade 11 student last Friday evening.

He composed a prayer for life, which, he said, may be recited after the minute of silence.?He called on the Filipino people to work tirelessly to denounce “the culture of violence and death in our society and sow life-giving values in our families.”?“We beg that the Lord grant us a compassionate heart so we may not grow callous and indifferent at these countless deaths,” Luistro said.

300 anti-riot cops

At least 300 anti-riot policemen would be deployed to secure the rally.

Because of the prevailing public outrage over Kian’s death, the Civil Disturbance Management (CDM) of the Quezon City Police District and the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) of the National Capital Region Police Office would be deployed some 50 meters away from the protesters, said NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde.

The gathering will coincide with the death anniversary of Filipino hero Benigno Aquino Jr.

“We would allow them to shout their hearts out. They can occupy the place as long as they want and even without necessary permits from the city government,” said Albayalde in an interview.

The government of Quezon City has not listed the People Power Monument as among its freedom parks, he noted.

But he warned that protesters should not block the traffic flow and police their ranks to prevent confrontation.

The NCRPO chief said he would coordinate with chairman Danny Lim of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to manage the flow of traffic along the rally site.

Albayalde advised CDM and RPSB personnel not to bring along their guns and maintain maximum tolerance in dealing with the protesters.?Church bells to ring

Church bells to ring

Outgoing Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas also sympathized with victims of the drug war.

He ordered parishes under the archdiocese to peal their bells for 15 victims every 8 p.m. starting tomorrow.

“May they receive the peace that they didn’t experience when they were still alive,” the prelate prayed.

Tagle calls for dialogue

Also yesterday, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle called for public action amid the rise in killings under the administration’s war on drugs.

Tagle urged Filipinos yesterday to “reflect, pray and act and come together, listen to each other and chart a common path” following the intensified drug war that reportedly has taken 81 lives in one week in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.

In his letter read in Sunday Masses in parishes under the archdiocese, Tagle proposed a multi-sectoral dialogue to be hosted by the Church where families, national government agencies, local government units, people’s organizations, schools, faith-based communities, the medical profession, police and military, recovering addicts and other sectors could tackle the drug menace and come up with more effective solutions.

“Given the complexity of the issues, no single individual, group or institution could claim to have the only right response. We need one other. We cannot disregard each other,” the cardinal stressed.

In making the proposal, Tagle said he is encouraged by the success of the Church’s partnership with “some good government servants, police and military personnel.”

The prelate lamented that while the drug menace is serious and needs to be addressed, the current drug war has divided the country.

“The illegal drug problem should not be reduced to a political or criminal issue. It is a humanitarian concern that affects all of us,” he said, adding that the response against the drug menace requires more than statistics as it should include human stories.

“Families with members who have been destroyed by illegal drugs must tell their stories. Families with members who have been killed in the drug war, especially the innocent ones, must be allowed to tell their stories. Drug addicts who have recovered must tell their stories of hope. Let their stories be told, let their human faces be revealed.”

Masses from Aug. 21 to 29?

For their part, the parishes in the archdiocese will offer novena in masses from Aug. 21 at the Memorial of St. Pope Pius X to Aug. 29 at the Beheading of St. John the Baptist “for the repose of those who have died in this war, for the strength of their families, for the perseverance of those recovering from addiction and the conversion of killers.”

Tagle also tapped the parishes to again implement the Sanlakbay project, a parish-based drug rehabilitation program in partnership with the local government and police.?The cardinal appealed to the conscience of drug traffickers to stop their activities and also of “those who kill even the helpless, especially those who cover their faces with bonnets, to stop wasting human lives.”?Tagle made the call after arriving from El Salvador where he attended the meeting of Caritas Latin America and following the death of Delos Santos.

At least four eyewitnesses suggested that the 11th grader and son of an overseas Filipino worker who supported President Duterte was murdered by three local policemen.

Caloocan Bishop Pablo David condemned the killing as he slammed the police.

“I don’t believe the police story that Kian Loyd, the grade 11 boy, died because he fought back and engaged three policemen in a shootout using a caliber 45,” he said in an interview.

“The CCTV footage showed he was already in their custody. How could he fight back? I am therefore glad that the mayor took the initiative to come up with an independent investigation,” stressed David, who led the mass at the slain student’s wake last Saturday afternoon.

Nationwide protests

Meanwhile, the militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) called on the public to hold nationwide indignation and protest rallies for a month leading up to the 45th anniversary of martial law on Sept. 21.

The actions would condemn the “fascist Duterte regime,” and the worsening human rights violations and impunity, it said.

“We call on victims of the drug war, all-out war, and martial law to come together against a common enemy. The people are called on to resist fascism and fight impunity,” the group said in a statement.

The month-long holding of rallies will start today with the 34th death anniversary of Ninoy Aquino.

Bayan is also calling for justice for Delos Santos. – Rey Galupo, Arnell Ozaeta, Non Alquitran, Edu Punay, Kurt dela Peña, Eva Visperas, Romina Cabrera