President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of September 21 as “a day of protest” virtually elevates the 45th anniversary of the imposition of martial law by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to a holiday.

It is a holiday because there is no work both in the government and private sectors and classes at all levels are suspended.

In the past, declarations of instant holidays were made to dissuade people, particularly students and workers, from staging protest actions, not to encourage them to join rallies and demonstrations.

The Duterte administration has no concrete program of action to make the supposed “day of protest” a reality, and not a mere farce to deter protests.

With or without any such presidential declaration, citizens and multi-sectoral groups are determined to protest the ignominy of the declaration of martial law 45 years ago with its crippling effects still damaging the country until now.

Moreover, Duterte’s “day of protest” is grossly tainted with insincerity because he openly idolizes the dictator Marcos.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN