According to Human Rights Watch, more than 12,000 suspected drug users and dealers are thought to have died in the “drug war”, including an estimated 4,000 during operations led by the police and the remainder by “unidentified gunmen”.

“Most of those killed are poor. They are accused of selling drugs but there is no due process. People are killed, thrown and left in the streets,” he said.

As Villanueva was speaking, two protesters lay on the floor re-enacting a scene after an extrajudicial killing.

Hong Kong Police Force rolls out the big guns for President Duterte’s visit

“This president has turned into a monster … some people might say that he is still popular. But his popularity cannot feed hungry people. His popularity cannot provide free education, health or housing,” he said.

Another migrant leader, Dolores Balladares, who has been a domestic worker for over 20 years, noted that Duterte has not fulfilled many of his electoral promises. “He promised that he would create jobs in our country and that we would not have to go abroad. But that did not happen,” she said.

Balladares also said she was not pleased with the news about the deployment of Filipino domestic workers and English teachers to mainland China.

“We do not like having people from the Philippines being exported to other countries, treated like commodities, and just waiting for our remittances to feed the country’s economy,” Balladares said. “We want jobs in the Philippines.”

She noted that the working conditions of domestic helpers abroad have not improved during Duterte’s administration. 

“As migrant workers, we do not feel protected. [Employment] agencies are still collecting a lot of money from workers and they have not been prosecuted,” she said.

“He is a good public servant who has helped the Filipino community in Hong Kong. We do not believe any of the allegations against him,” she said.

How Philippines war on drugs has become a war on the poor

The InterContinental, a five-minute walk from the protest site, was surrounded by huge plastic barricades filled with water to prevent vehicle attacks as well as by dozens of police officers and security guards. 

To enter the hotel, guests had to go through metal detectors and cars were also checked.

Villanueva said they organised the protest to send a message to the president, not to create trouble. “We are not terrorists … They [the police] don’t need to hide us behind an MTR station.” 

A protester from Hong Kong also said the security measures were disproportionate. 

“We have to be stuck here surrounded by police,” Au Lap-hang, 29, said.

Au said he decided to join the protest to show solidarity with Filipinos. “I have been concerned about Southeast Asian issues for a long time, and since Duterte took power we know that many things have happened including targeting human rights activists … He has to stop the violence against his citizens,” Au said.

This week, Manila announced that it was planning to seal a deal with China within a few months to jointly explore for oil and gas in a part of the South China Sea claimed by both countries.

The protest organisers attributed the low turnout to the fact that many domestic workers were not allowed time off from their jobs. Most of the domestic helpers get a day off on Sunday.

A police spokesman said that when foreign dignitaries visited Hong Kong, the force was “duty-bound to ensure their personal safety”, as well as the safe and orderly conduct of the events that the officials attended. The force also “respects the public’s freedom of expression, speech and assembly, and will facilitate all peaceful and orderly public order events”.

Duterte leaves Hong Kong tonight after meeting members of the Filipino community.