PNP to Set up Outposts in the US:  Duterte’s Attempt to Silence Opposition!

A recent development in the US-Duterte regime’s attempts to silence opposition has reached beyond the boundaries of the Philippines through allowing the Philippine National Police (PNP) to set up their “Global Police Community Relations” in San Francisco and somewhere along the east coast as stated in the recent press showcase.

BAYAN USA recognizes this as a direct threat by the administration against activists and organizers that have raised vocal opposition to the US-Duterte regime’s violent fascist attacks on the people. Most notorious is the “drug war” against the poor in which there have been more than 20,000 killings mostly at the hands of the PNP and their goons. What other true purpose would the PNP serve to be stationed in the US? The PNP say that this is an opportunity for Filipinos to report crimes from abroad in the US and perhaps “maybe in our own little way be able to address their problems especially the emotional problems they will encounter if their loved ones left in the Philippines will encounter also some emotional problems?” How is this their priority when the over 20,000 victims killed by the drug war and their families have yet to find justice?  

Duterte’s response to deploy PNP officials to the US is directly linked to the International People’s Tribunal (IPT) and other international human rights advocates finding the US-Duterte administration GUILTY of crimes against humanity over the alleged “gross and systematic violations of human rights” in the Philippines as publicly announced on September 20th in Brussels, Belgium. Duterte has already made open threats in response to the IPT verdict saying he will add “foreigners as human targets for Filipino soldiers,” he is simply following through with his threats by ordering his attack dogs in the PNP to stand guard in the US.

We must block the PNP from setting up outposts in the US and call on all Filipinos and allies to join us in standing against this new fascist move by the Duterte regime. We must demand justice for all the victims of the “drug war” and cut all US aid that has supported Duterte’s bloody campaign! Join the ICHRP US day of action to urge US congress to cut aid to the Philippine military and national police!

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Please join the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP US)in a day of action urging Congress to

Cut Aid to the Philippine Military & National Police!

According to Philippine human rights watchdog Karapatan, since President Duterte came to power there have been over 23,000 killings of the poor, the Moro, and of progressive people critical of President Duterte’s dictatorship. The killings are linked to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and their operatives.

The Philippines continues to receive the largest amount of U.S. aid in the Asia-Pacific, with so far at least $184.5 million in U.S. tax dollars going towards the Philippine military and police this year. We do not want our tax dollars going towards the killings and human rights violations in the Philippines.

Please take 10 minutes today to:

• Call your Congressional Representative

Find your Representative HERE.

Click on their names to get the phone numbers to their offices and make your calls!

Tell them your name, your city, and your organization (if applicable) and say:

• • I’m concerned about human rights in the Philippines and the U.S. tax dollars going to the Philippine military and police.  
  • They have been linked with over 20,000 deaths under President Duterte who last week was found guilty of crimes against humanity by the International People’s Tribunal in Brussels, Belgium.  

• When the Fiscal Year 2019 Appropriations Bill comes to the floor for a vote, will [Senator/Congressperson _(name)_] ensure that the human rights restrictions on aid to the Philippines are maintained?

If your Representative is on one of these committees, please make an additional ask….

• IF your Representative is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee– please ask them: “Will (Senator______) hold a hearing on the Philippines?”
• IF your Representative is on the Senate Human Rights Caucus– please ask them: “Will (Senator______) hold a briefing on the Philippines?”

San Francisco & San Mateo County Residents! If your representative is Congresswoman Jackie Speier, please also make this special ask: “Will Congresswoman Speier take responsibility for a House version of S. 1055, on Philippines Human Rights? We need her to to take lead on it and not pass it off to another Representative.”

Let us know how it went for you! Please email any comments or questions that you received from the congressional office to ichrpus@gmail.com.

• Post on social media: “I called Senator ___________ today to ask Congress to oppose US AID to the AFP/PNP @ (phone number). Will you join me?”

• Follow ICHRP US for campaign updates and to get involved in advocating for human rights in the Philippines.

If you’re able to schedule a meeting with your representatives during congressional recess, let us know! Sign-up to help organize legislative visits or take up other work for the campaign to cut aid to the Philippine military and national police HERE.  

Thank you for your solidarity with the people in the Philippines!

S21: Never Again to Martial Law! Labanan ang Diktadura!

Filipinos and Allies Across the U.S. Unite to Fight Duterte’s Dictatorship

Artist: Renan Ortiz

As we commemorate the 46th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines by Ferdinand Marcos, BAYAN USA joins Filipinos and our allies across the U.S. unite to fight anew the festering dictatorship of Rodrigo Duterte. We will never forget the lessons learned from 14 years of martial law under Marcos, for the realities of the present day constantly remind us of these lessons from the past.

Duterte’s bloody wars on the poor, the Moro, the indigenous people, and dissidents today—do they not remind us of Marcos’ sweeps of activists on campuses and in barrios, wars on the Bangsamoro in Mindanao, and counterinsurgency program Operation Plan Katatagan?

The thousands of lives taken by Duterte’s police through Oplan Tokhang, the military and paramilitary through Oplan Kapayapaan, and the US-armed and advised war in Mindanao, currently still under martial law—do these not force us to remember the thousands of people martyred by Marcos, his constabulary and army?

Duterte’s attacks on the media, dirty removal of political opposition in the judiciary and legislature, ploys to change the constitution today, imprisonment of hundreds of people guilty only of being vocal critics of his regime—are they not reminiscent of Marcos’ media blackouts, disingenuous Constitutional Convention, and assassination of political rivals?

Duterte’s surrender of Philippine sovereignty for loans and financial investments by the U.S., China, Japan and instruments of neoliberalism such as the World Bank—are these not a reminder of Marcos’s Investment Incentives Law and concessions to the dictates of the International Monetary Fund?  

Duterte’s economic policies, new taxes under the guise of reform and economic acceleration, unabated price increases on basic commodities, continuing contractualization of the workforce, and refusal to implement genuine land reform which are plunging the people into deeper poverty—do these not harken back to the sham economic development program and start of the Labor Export Program of Marcos?

Duterte’s open-armed welcome of the U.S. military in Philippine bases, unabated implementation of the Visiting Forces Agreement and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and inaction on China’s occupation of Philippine land and sea territory—do these not bring back the worst memories of the Philippines being the site of the largest overseas U.S. military bases in the world?

Donald Trump’s unequivocal support for Duterte, declarations that the Philippines is the “most strategic piece of real estate from a military standpoint,” and $184 million in funding for Duterte’s wars today—how different are these from Ronald Reagan’s staunch backing of Marcos?

The recent International People’s Tribunal convicted Trump and Duterte as guilty of heinous crimes against the Filipino people and the Philippine nation. The brave testimonies of those who survived violations of human, civil, political, and economic rights remind us of the courage of the people who came forward in the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal (First Session on the Philippines) of 1980 against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. The sharing of the verdict with the United Nations and various parliaments and governments worldwide added strong international pressure on the Philippine government to stop the killings and other gross human rights violations in the country.

The workers, students, women, journalists, teachers, peasants, faith leaders, indigenous people, lawyers, and human rights defenders who continue to speak out and fight against Duterte’s tyranny today embody the spirit of resistance of the people who fought the Marcos dictatorship for nearly two decades.

The mass mobilizations of all sectors and classes of Philippine society on International Workers’ Day, Philippine “Independence” Day, and the People’s State of the Nation Address to condemn the fascist US-Duterte regime call forth the strength and resolve of the millions of people who rose up to topple the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.

We will never forget martial law under Marcos. We will never forget the suffering and pain of the masses, but more so we will never forget the people’s courage and unity that persevere today. For the martyrs of the past and present, for the people struggling today, and for the generations to come, we will not stop fighting Duterte’s brand of dictatorship until we achieve genuine, lasting freedom and democracy for our nation.

OUR CALLS:

Never Again to a Fascist Dictatorship!

Fight Tyranny! Resist Duterte’s dictatorship!

Stop the Killings! Stop the Attacks!

Genuine Freedom and Democracy, not Cha-Cha and Tyranny!

Oppose Militarization of our Schools and Communities!

Free all Political Prisoners!

Stop Political Persecution! Activism is not a Crime!

Defend Press Freedom!

Sobra na, tama na, wakasan na! Enough is Enough! End Tyranny!

Greetings everyone!

As you may know, BAYAN USA will be hosting its 6th National Congress this weekend Sept 15-16 in New York!  Online Registration will close Sept 10th, 2018. However, you can still register at the door starting on Saturday Sept 15th at 8am!

There are some parts of the weekends events that are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Please share these widely! BAYAN USA Congress Day 1 will have our Keynote Speaker  Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog Chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno and Vice Chair of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and the Resist Imperialist War & Build Solidarity Panel with special guest speakers! In the evening we will host our Solidarity Night Music and Raffle event (see details in flyer)!

In addition to the BAYAN USA Congress, BAYAN USA is taking to the streets and calling for a mobilization action in front of the Philippine Consulate in New York City on Sept 16th. We invite all friends, allies and supporters of the Filipino people’s continuing struggle for genuine sovereignty and democracy to join us as we celebrate the conclusion of our 6th congress with march and rally against US-backed fascism in the Philippines under the Duterte regime. Click here: FB event.

Sept. 16th, March assembly point:
6:30pm at Pershing Square (narrow public area along Park Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets. Meeting location is by the Citibike rack)

We will march to the Philippine Consulate at 556 Fifth Avenue, between 45th and 46th Streets, where we will hold a program.