"Abolish imperialism," chants a protester holding a placard reading "NO TO US MILITARY OIL DEPOT IN DAVAO REGION," as the crowd responds during the program.(Photo by Renier C. Cornelio,Mindanao State University-Marawi intern/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – As the nation marked its 128th Independence Day, students and members of progressive organizations gathered at Freedom Park in Davao City on June 12 to question what independence means today.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) – Southern Mindanao led the protest. The protesters unfurled banners and held placards raising issues on national sovereignty, foreign military presence, and government accountability.
Central to their message was a sharp opposition to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and the proposed US military oil depot in Davao Region, which the protesters argued signals enduring foreign influence in the country.
Amid the heat, speakers urged the crowd to look past historical commemoration toward current realities. The call was for an independent foreign policy and true self-determination.
For the protesters, the commemoration served not as a closed chapter of history, but as a platform to demand answers from the Marcos Jr. administration and Vice President Sara Duterte regarding corruption and governance failures.
While commemorations unfolded across the archipelago, this gathering in Davao posed a singular, persistent question that rippled through the Freedom Park: What does independence really mean today?
Students and members of progressive organizations gather at Freedom Park in Davao City on June 12 to mark the 128th Philippine Independence Day through a protest.(Photo by Renier C. Cornelio,Mindanao State University-Marawi intern/davaotoday.com)A student protester speaks during the rally, raising concerns over the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and demanding its removal from the country.(Photo by Renier C. Cornelio,Mindanao State University-Marawi intern/davaotoday.com)“Abolish imperialism,” chants a protester holding a placard reading “NO TO US MILITARY OIL DEPOT IN DAVAO REGION,” as the crowd responds during the program.(Photo by Renier C. Cornelio,Mindanao State University-Marawi intern/davaotoday.com)A SABOKAHAN (Unity of Lumad Women) member speaks at the rally, calling for the removal of EDCA sites and opposing war machine testing in the Philippines. SABOKAHAN is a grassroots organization representing indigenous women and LGBTQ+ communities in Mindanao.A SABOKAHAN (Unity of Lumad Women) member speaks at the rally, calling for the removal of EDCA sites and opposing war machine testing in the Philippines. SABOKAHAN is a grassroots organization representing indigenous women and LGBTQ+ communities in Mindanao.(Photo by Renier C. Cornelio,Mindanao State University-Marawi intern/davaotoday.com)Flags of BAYAN-Southern Mindanao and Philippines wave during the rally at Freedom Park on June 12, as participants call for national sovereignty and protest U.S. military presence in the country.(Photo by Renier C. Cornelio,Mindanao State University-Marawi intern/davaotoday.com)
