Blog

For Immediate Release

June 12, 2019

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro, chair@bayanusa.org

Today, June 12th, marks the anniversary of the Philippine revolution winning independence from Spain after over 300 years of colonial rule.  A historical victory of the Filipino people that should be celebrated, however if we continue down the road of Philippine history it will also mention that this Philippine independence was short lived due to the US engaging in the Philippine-American war immediately after and inserting themselves as the new colonial power. When the US granted nominal independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946, US colonialism transformed into U.S. imperialism, as the Philippines became a neocolony with puppet regimes doing the bidding to uphold U.S. interests and US military presence to this day. And now, China as a rising superpower has expanded it’s control over the Philippine economy and West Philippine Sea.  Therefore, we raise the question, is the Philippines truly free and independent from foreign intervention?

The Philippines continues to be an export-oriented, import-dependent nation with a backwards economy largely dominated by foreign multi-national corporations and their lap dogs, namely the ruling elite and big business owners benefiting from the unequal trade agreements.  Last November, Duterte signed 29 agreements with Chinese President Xi Jinping to secure funding for his “Build Build Build” program and plunge the Philippine economy into an even deeper debt trap. The flooding of Chinese investments and loans with strings attached have been met with protest due to the landgrabbing of mineral rich areas, the impact on indigenous people’s ancestral land, lopsided trade agreements, and Duterte silence on China’s aggressive occupation of the West Philippine Sea.  This year alone, there have been at least 600 Chinese ships (mainly navy, coast guard or naval militia) surrounding the Pagasa island and multiple cases of harassment of fisherfolk communities such as the 22 Filipino fishermen left at sea after a “hit and run” incident with a Chinese vessel.

Despite Duterte claiming to promote independent foreign policy, the Duterte regime has only continued unequal military policies and counter-insurgency programs such as Oplan Kapayapaan and Operation Pacific Eagle, that force the Philippines into a subservient position ultimately turning the entire nation into a US military base.  We demand an end to US military and police aid to the Philippines that amounted to $184.5 million in US tax dollars in 2018, as well as lop-sided agreements that protect US military interests such as the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

We call on the Filipino people and solidarity allies across the United States to unite to hold mass actions on July 22nd, People’s State of the Nation Address in major cities and join the Washington D.C. National Day of Action, to amplify the call to oust Duterte for his subservience to foreign interests and continue the fight for genuine sovereignty in the face of imperialist powers such as the US and China.  We stand committed to the fight for a just and lasting peace in the Philippines which includes our demand for a pro-Filipino and independent foreign policy that protects the natural wealth of our motherland for the benefit of the majority of Filipino people.

Source:

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/12/19/chinese-ship-sinks-ph-vessel-abandons-22-pinoy-fishermen

https://www.rappler.com/move-ph/232817-list-rallies-independence-day-2019

10 Years: Still Fighting for Justice for Melissa Roxas!

Who is Melissa?

Melissa Roxas was born in Manila, Philippines.  In 1986, the same year after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, Melissa was nine years old and migrated along with two siblings to Los Angeles to be reunited with her mother.  After graduating from high school in 1996, Melissa’s interest in community work, particularly in health care, manifested when she was a student at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).  She had the intention of one day going to medical school. Melissa worked as a community health youth organizer with Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), in Los Angeles, where she facilitated workshops on tobacco prevention, and promoted health and well-being.   A gifted writer, Roxas’ body of poetry and creative writing earned her such accolades as a fellowship with PEN USA Rosenthal Emerging Voices and a fellowship with Kundiman for two consecutive years. Melissa also co-founded Habi Ng Kalinangan, or Habi Arts, a Los Angeles-based Filipino cultural organization dedicated to promoting community empowerment and progressive social change.  

State-Sponsored Violence

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the abduction and disappearance of Melissa Roxas, a Filipina American, health worker, poet, and human rights activist.  Melissa was participating in a medical mission in Tarlac, Philippines on May 19, 2009 when she was abducted and tortured for six days in a military camp by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).  Massive public outcry from the Philippines, United States, and across the world led to her release on May 25, 2009. Since then she has filed her case with the Department of Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, Commission on Human Rights, filed complaints with the US State Department and United Nations, testified at the 2015 International People’s Tribunal and spoken out on major media outlets demanding justice for her and all victims of state-sponsored violence in the Philippines.

Activism is Not a Crime

Under then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the AFP ramped up its counter-insurgency program called Oplan Bantay Laya I & II, a program in which the US provided millions of US tax dollars to give funding, training, and direction to the AFP in an attempt to eliminate the ongoing revolutionary struggle in the Philippines.  The Philippine military is one of the largest US military aid recipients for counterinsurgency, but this counterinsurgency program only led to a crackdown on activists like Melissa Roxas who were doing humanitarian work with the most impoverished communities. According to human rights group Karapatan, there were 1,206 extrajudicial killings and 204 enforced disappearances under Arroyo’s presidency.  Since 2009, President Arroyo has not been held accountable for Melissa’s ordeal or other human rights violations on her bloody track record; instead, President Duterte has even gone so far as to dismiss corruption cases against Arroyo and promote her as House Speaker.

The US-Duterte Regime

Ten years later under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ power and influence has only expanded with most of Duterte’s cabinet filled with AFP military officials.  Despite the numerous cases and clear evidence of the AFP carrying out brutal harassment, illegal arrests, torture, extrajudicial killings, and violence against women, children, and indigenous people, Duterte continues to direct and support the AFP’s dirty work by promoting officials and increasing their salaries.  While the number of human rights violations under Duterte continue to soar beyond 29,000, we see little hope for true justice for Melissa and other human rights victims especially under this violent fascist administration.

The only way we can see true justice for Melissa and victims of state-sponsored violence is to get rid of the rotting semi-colonial and semi-feudal system that emboldens human rights violators such as Arroyo, Duterte, and the AFP. We demand justice for Melissa and an end to the culture of impunity and state-sponsored violence.  The victims, survivors, and their families of the ‘desaparecidos,’ or disappeared, long for genuine change, justice, and healing. Only through revolutionary struggle and people power can we achieve lasting change in the Philippines and hold perpetrators of state violence accountable.

Justice for Melissa Roxas! Activism is Not a Crime!

Justice for All Victims of State-Sponsored Violence in the Philippines!

Cut All US Military and Police aid to the Philippines!

Learn more about Melissa:  justiceformelissa.org

JOIN THE SOCIAL MEDIA WEEK OF ACTION

#10YearsNoJustice   #Justice4Melissa #ActivismIsNotACrime

JOIN US!

• Event: Justice for Melissa 10 Year Anniversary May 25, 5:30PM at 425 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA

POST IT!

• Make Justice for Melissa graphic your Facebook profile pic and update your status with: “10 years ago, Melissa was abducted – May 19, 2009. Join BAYAN USA in demanding justice for all victims of Human Rights Violations and publicize the International People’s Tribunal Verdict.”
• Share the BAYAN USA statement: “10 Years: Still Fighting for Justice for Melissa!”

BE CREATIVE!

• Write your own poem, song or visual art in honor people who have disappeared, and share it widely such as Melissa’s Poem- “Disinter” released August 7th, 2009.
• Spread widely the song “Justice4Melissa” by Anakbayan LA

TAKE A PHOTO/VIDEO!

• Post of photo or video montage of yourself and members of your organization or friends holding a sign “Justice for Melissa Roxas & All Victims of Human Rights Violations.”
• Share widely SF CHRP’s Human Right’s Shadow Puppet Video

SPEAK OUT!

• Record and post a video message of solidarity to Melissa and all victims of human rights violations.
• Share Melissa Roxas’ story featured on Kababayan Today: Open Letter Part 1 & part 2

For Immediate Release

May 1, 2019

Contact: Rhonda Ramiro, chair@bayanusa.org

BAYAN-USA Honors International Workers’ Day Calling on

Workers to Unite against Duterte’s Rising Fascism

On International Workers’ Day, BAYAN-USA marches in step with the workers of the Philippines and around the world in resistance to imperialism and tyranny. In the face of spreading global fascism and worsening poverty, workers are at the forefront of people’s’ movements that are strengthening, forging unity and rising up for liberation.

The US-Duterte regime continues its quest to consolidate a dictatorship through the outright oppression and repression of the poor and working masses. Any facade of an effective constitutional liberal democracy has been completely torn at the seams as Duterte ravages the Philippines with his fascist wars on the people that have led to more than 30,000 extrajudicial killings, trumped up charges, illegal detention, rampant corruption, militarism and martial law.

These measures are most of all hurting workers who bear the brunt of anti-people policies like the Rice Tarification law and the TRAIN law, a policy that lowers the consumer purchasing power of everyday people. As the ultimate sellout, Duterte has not only betrayed his campaign promise of ending contractualization of workers, but he also vowed to take on more unequal foreign loans that chain the Philippines as a debt colony of China; these loans impose unequal conditions tied to the aid, such as the requirement of the use of Chinese workers who are being exploited by Chinese contractors for Duterte’s “Build Build Build” projects such as the PH-China Chico River Pump Irrigation Contract, while more than 22% of Filipinos remain jobless. The economic conditions in the Philippines have created one of the largest diasporas in the world, with more than 6,500 Filipinos leaving the country everyday to look for jobs overseas, while the Duterte regime absorbs the over $33 billion in hard earned remittances overseas Filipinos send back home to their families.

Meanwhile, the conditions of migrants and workers in the United States continue to worsen from within the belly of the imperialist beast. Alongside other migrants, Filipinos face discrimination, poverty wages, unstable work schedules, cuts in benefits, and a lack of job security.  Even worse, the Duterte administration leaves Filipino migrants to fend for themselves vulnerable to labor trafficking schemes and Trump’s anti-immigrant policies.

Despite all of this, Filipinos across the United States and around the world are rising up in growing numbers to fight back against Duterte’s rotten dictatorship and join the call for national democracy in the Philippines.  We urge our members and community to stay vigilant in demanding an end to US-backed state repression and human rights violations in the Philippines. We amplify the call to oust Duterte and to cut all forms of US support to his regime.  We stand in solidarity with oppressed workers, migrants, and refugee communities clamoring for liberation, from the U.S. to their homelands around the globe. We call on all people to join the United People’s State of the Nation actions across the U.S. to be held on July 22, 2019.

End Contractualization! Junk the TRAIN law!

Unite to Oust the Fascist Duterte Regime!

Workers of the World Unite! Struggle for Socialism!