Hundreds rally in Manila ahead of Duterte's annual speech

Hundreds of protesters marched, std motorces and held a rally against a new anti-terror law and or issues Monday in Philippine capital, despite police threats of arrests ahe of president's annual state of nation speech.

Authorities have banned public garings of more than 10 people under coronavirus quarantine restrictions but protesters said government was using health crisis as a cover to mute widespre criticism over a wide range of issues, including its handling of pandemic.

protesters who wore masks amid a continuing rise in coronavirus infections, lashed out at an anti-terror law which President Rodrigo Duterte signed early this month.

More than a dozen petitions have been filed before Supreme Court for law to be declared unconstitutional, mainly on fears it could be used to muzzle legitimate dissent and human rights defenders.

protesters also condemned shutdown of country's largest TV network, ABS-CBN Corp., after a committee in House of Representatives, which is controlled by Duterte's allies, voted to reject a new 25-year franchise for brocaster which president has repeatedly threatened to be shuttered partly for what he said was company's failure to brocast his campaign s in 2016 and support for a rival candidate.

ABS-CBN has denied any wrongdoing.