Protesters Mark Duterte Birthday With Justice Call

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By Juliane Judilla

Various progressive groups staged a protest in front of the University of the Philippines Visayas, Iloilo City campus, on March 28, coinciding with the 80th birthday of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The demonstration served as both a condemnation of his administration’s policies and a call for justice for the countless victims under his regime.

As part of the protest, demonstrators reenacted the tragic killing of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos, who was shot dead by police in Caloocan City on the night of Aug. 16, 2017, during the height of Duterte’s war on drugs.

Delos Santos’ final words, “Tama na po, may test pa po kami bukas” (“Enough, we still have exams tomorrow”), reportedly heard by a witness before his death, were played on repeat to amplify the emotional weight of the reenactment.

This act aimed to remind the public of the innocent lives lost under the administration’s violent anti-drug campaign.

In a poignant moment, youth groups also performed a parody of the “Happy Birthday” song, altering the lyrics to “Ikulong si Duterte, ikulong!” (“Jail Duterte, jail!”) to express their demand for justice.

Beyond the estimated 30,000 victims of Duterte’s war on drugs, the protest also called attention to the broader group of individuals who suffered under his rule.

The demonstrators demanded justice for activists, indigenous people, farmers, workers and other critics who were killed or silenced during his presidency.

Duterte, recently arrested by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, is accused of responsibility for more than 12,000 deaths linked to his anti-drug campaign from 2016 to 2022.

According to the human rights group Human Rights Watch, at least 2,555 of these killings were directly carried out by the Philippine National Police, underscoring the systemic nature of the violence.

The protest served as a powerful reminder of the enduring demand for justice and accountability and as an indictment of the brutal policies that marked Duterte’s administration.