Calabarzon groups plan mass protests for martial law anniversary

Activist groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Southern Tagalog (BAYAN ST) are organizing simultaneous protest actions across Calabarzon under the banner 'Bahain ng Protesta ang Timog Katagalugan,' or 'Flood the Southern Tagalog Region with Protest.'

The coordinated demonstrations will be held at government centers and public spaces throughout the region, which encompasses the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon. The September 21 date marks the anniversary of the 1972 declaration of Martial Law, a period spanning nearly two decades that was marked by widespread human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances.

The multisectoral coalition mobilizing for the anniversary actions includes labor unions, peasant organizations, youth groups, and human rights advocates. Organizers said the protests aim to honor victims of the Marcos-era dictatorship while drawing attention to what they characterize as contemporary threats to democratic freedoms and civil liberties.

Similar commemorative actions are expected to be held in other regions throughout the country on the same date, as civil society groups continue to use the martial law anniversary as an occasion to reflect on the period and advocate for historical accountability.