By Diamond Y. Melendres

With the intention of spreading the awareness of human rights violations and calling for a lift of Martial Law in Mindanao, youth group Kalinaw (Kabataan para sa Kapayapaan sa Mindanao) lit candles outside gate 4 of Far Eastern University (FEU) yesterday, June 16, as a sign of condolence for the lives lost in Marawi.

Al Omaga, Spokesperson of Kalinaw and Deputy-Secretary General of the National Union of students of the Philippines, stated that their main purpose was to inform and persuade the students in the University Belt area to call for the presence of writ of habeas corpus and the lift of Martial Law in Mindanao.

He also shared how the youth group was concerned with the possibility of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration manipulating the military’s power as a means to take control of the natural resources present in Mindanao.

Kalinaw had staged another protest in the Morayta area earlier on the same day. Members of the group had tied black ribbons along the road rails of Morayta as a means to denounce the violence caused both by the military and the Maute group.

Omaga has disclosed that their series of protests are a build-up action for a unity walk to be held on June 23. The unity walk for Mindanao will begin from Plaza Miranda to Mendiola.

The group plans to continue their series of demonstrations until President Duterte’s next State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24.