MANILA, Philippines – How many pro and anti-Duterte demonstrators joined the National Day of Protest last September 21 in Metro Manila?
Calculations made by the the Manila Police District (MPD), the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters, and the National Capital Region (NCR) police don’t match.
According to the MPD, there were more people in the NCR who went out and marched last Thursday to support President Rodrigo Duterte than anti-martial law groups that staged pocket rallies before converging at the Luneta Park.
The government-run Philippine News Agency reported that according to MPD spokesperson Supt. Erwin Margarejo, there were a total of 15,000 pro-Duterte demonstrators – 12,000, who marched to Plaza Miranda in Quiapo and another 3,000, who gathered in Mendiola, outside Malacañang.
Also, the same report said that according to the MPD, there were a total of 13,000 anti-dictatorship protesters, consisting of 8,000 people, who converged in Luneta and 5,000, who massed in Mendiola.
But based on the PNP headquarters’ estimate, there were only 7,000 pro-Duterte demonstrators who assembled in Plaza Miranda – thus the total would only be 10,000 or 3,000 lesser than anti-tyranny marchers – if the MPD’s calculations on the number of pro-Duterte demonstrators in Mendiola (3,000) and anti-Duterte protesters (13,000) were accurate.
A separate estimate by the NCR police only reported the number of anti-Duterte protesters who gathered in Luneta, which according to NCRPO chief Oscar Albayalde was just 8,000.
Also according to Albayalde, there were a total of 10,000 government supporters consisting of 6,500, who assembled at Plaza Miranda and another 3,500, who went to Mendiola.
Organizers of the anti-martial law rallies led by the Movement Against Tyranny, placed the number of Sept. 21 protesters who converged in Luneta around 30,000.
Supt. Vimellee Madrid, PNP deputy spokesperson, said the headquarters would verify the numbers, specifcally the mismatch in the estimates of Duterte supporters who joined the demonstration at Plaza Miranda.
“I-verify natin kung meron talagang nilabas ang (Plaza) Miranda police na number contradicting or different sa na-submit nila dito sa atin,” Madrid said during a press briefing on Friday at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
