PHOTOS: Filipinos protested for Former President Duterte in Budapest
A peaceful assembly was organised for the freedom of Former President Duterte, who is in The Hague, facing charges at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity during his presidency. Here are some photos and a report from a Hungarian participant.
Filipinos in Budapest said they felt safer under Duterte
According to him, the protest started a little late with prayers. Short speeches followed, along with songs, rap, dancing, and chanting the former president’s name and the slogans “Bring him home” and “We are not Filipino for nothing”. In the speeches, participants highlighted that the Philippines was safer under Duterte’s presidency. They said the present situation was like drugs being legal.
“In the eyes of a Hungarian, it was a mix of a protest and a karaoke party,” but that is understandable since it was also held as a birthday celebration for Duterte, who turned 80 just the day before yesterday. Therefore, the participants sang Duterte’s favourite song. Here you can listen to it:
Approximately 100 people attended the event, several holding printed “Bring him home” signs, and almost everybody wore at least one green garment, as the organisers had requested beforehand (green is the colour of Duterte’s party). There were lots of small Filipino flags and a big one, and somebody brought a Hungarian flag as well.
“It was a nice event; many tourists stopped or even joined for a few minutes,” said the Hungarian participant writing to us about it. Towards the end of the event, several passersby joined the so-called budots, an electronic dance music (EDM) genre that originated in Davao City, Philippines. The protest took place in Heroes’ Square, a tourist hotspot in Budapest.
Duterte is in the Hague
Rodrigo Duterte is currently in The Hague after the International Criminal Court ordered his arrest, which was carried out by the Filipino police on 11 March at Manila’s international airport. He is standing before the ICC due to alleged crimes against humanity. According to AP News, “the case stemmed from the deadly anti-drug crackdowns he oversaw from November 2011 until March 2019 while serving as mayor of Davao City and later as president.”
Based on AP News, human rights groups estimate the death toll of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign to range between 20,000 and 30,000. The Philippine authorities acknowledge only 6,250 victims. Duterte has consistently denied being an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the murders or authorising the killing of thousands of suspects.
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