More than 700 protesters gathered outside the Senate on Thursday, the 43rd day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, calling for her conviction and demanding that the Duterte family be removed from Philippine politics.
The demonstrators danced to the beat of drums while chanting, “Sara, Sara, magnanakaw.” The protesters also carried colorful banners bearing the words “Convict Sara.”
Darwin Carillo, president of Balangay ng Bagong Maynila, said the protesters would continue holding demonstrations until Duterte is convicted.
“Magising na po tayo [na] si Sara Duterte ay nanloko… Maagang pamasko po ‘yun na maconvict. Kung hindi maconvict, hihintayin namin na talagang mawala siya sa history ng politics, ‘yung mga Duterte kasi talagang pinahirapan nila ang mga Pilipino,” Carillo said.
Carillo also claimed that the vice president’s defense witnesses could no longer effectively defend her, alleging that many of them had repeatedly claimed to have no recollection of relevant matters.
He added that if Duterte had “palabra de honor,” or kept her word, she should give the Filipino people a Christmas gift by voluntarily stepping down instead of waiting to be convicted in the impeachment trial.
Carillo said the protesters were not seeking only Duterte’s removal from office but also the end of the Duterte family’s influence in Philippine politics.
Meanwhile, police maintained a heavy presence around the protest site, with barricades extending from the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Film Center in Pasay City to the Senate gates.
