Grade of ‘incomplete’ in...

inadequate social services,” he said.

In Quezon City, victims of human rights abuses during the dictatorship of Marcos’ father demanded the release of political prisoners.

The activity, dubbed as Breaking Change, Reclaiming Freedom from Marcos Sr. to Marcos Jr., was held at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

The Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto said there are 778 political prisoners in the country, with 49 arrested during the first year of Marcos’ term.

The Amihan National Federation of Peasant

Women also denounced the Marcos administration for the “increasing cases of illegal arrest and detention” of activists on trumped-up charges.

“He’s only one year in office but 26 peasant women have already been illegally arrested,” Amihan chairperson Zenaida Soriano said in a statement in Filipino.

For labor groups, it was a failing grade for Marcos, whom they accused of not doing enough to improve the lives of workers.

Aside from not getting any salary increase, workers under the Marcos administration have suffered numerous violations of their right to organize, they said.

Even government workers were not immune to acts of violation of the Freedom of Association (FOA), according to Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees president Ferdinand Gaite. He said Marcos should immediately take action to make sure FOA is strictly observed. The All Philippine Trade Union said Filipino workers were “underdog victims” of antiworker policies under the Marcos administration. The group has also expressed concern over the Department of Labor and Employment’s inability to address workers’ rights violations. (with reports from Delon Porcalla, Emmanuel Tupas, Mayen Jaymalin)