Duterte to 'red, yellow' protesters: Don’t break law or I’ll use force

President Rodrigo Duterte has warned protesters that he would not hesitate to use force if they break the law during rallies, even as he assured that they would be treated well by security forces if they behave.

Duterte said rallyists could even use all the public spaces they would want to occupy and reiterated his promise that he would only deploy policemen to manage traffic.

“Go ahead. Be my guest. Parang bisita ko kayo and that will be true for other major cities in the Philippines. But do not break the law. I will not hesitate to use force. Even if it would mean my downfall as President of this country. Tandaan ninyo ‘yan,” he said in an interview with news anchor Erwin Tulfo that aired on PTV-4 on Friday.

The President claimed that the upcoming protests would involve both "reds," which include elements of the militant Left, and “yellows” or personalities associated with the Liberal Party.

“Ang problema ni ganito. Hindi ko malaman dito, wala pa kaming analysis eh. Kung sumasakay ang dilaw sa Left o ang Left ang sumasakay sa dilaw,” he said.

“Pero magsama-sama na kayo. Wala akong — ang gusto ko magsama kayo lahat na may hinanakit sa akin. Lahat ng namatay sa extrajudicial killing, ‘yung pamilya ninyo. Huwag lang kayong gumawa ng mga bagay-bagay na hindi sang-ayon sa batas,” he added.

Duterte said members of the New People’s Army were also free to join the rallies as long they do not carry weapons. He assured them the security forces would not arrest them.

“Huwag kayong magpapasok ng sabihin niyo red army ninyo na may armas. Huwag kayong magkamali na magsira diyan, sira dito because if you do it, the next thing, ang kaharap ninyo would be the military and the police,” he said.

“If you remain peaceful, I can assure you no military and the policemen other than the traffic comes,” he added.

Duterte also said he was fine with protesters airing their grievances and burning an effigy of him as long as they would not destroy, vandalize, or burn public properties.

“Ito lang ang hinihingi ko sa inyo: Huwag ninyong gawin na magsira kayo, you vandalize, magsunog kayo ng mga ganoon-ganoon. ‘Yung effigy ko sunugin ninyo. Make an effigy 'yung kamukha ko. Maski isang libo,” he said

“Gawin ninyo iyan. I can take the insult… But do not take the law into your own hands,” he added.

Duterte said he would make the protest day a “holiday” so no other Filipinos would have to bear with the heavy traffic that their rally would create.

While Duterte did not mention any date in his interview, multisectoral group Movement Against Tyranny which is against “fascism and militarist rule of the Duterte government” is set to hold a rally at Luneta Park on September 21. —JST, GMA News