Stop the Killings in the Philippines Campaign
Vancouver Local Steering Committee
All Soul's Day Statement

IN PRAISE OF MARTYRS: STOP THE POLITICAL KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES

November 1 , 2006

On November 1 in the Philippines, families and communities travel to and congregate at the graves and burial places of their departed family members and ancestors to honour and pay tribute to their loved ones that have passed away.

On November 1 in Vancouver, we as peace- and democracy-loving Canadians and Filipinos in Canada are also gathering to pay tribute to those who have passed away. Although we cannot travel to their gravesites to pay them respects, we are gathering as a community to share their stories, offer food and words of commemoration as well as taking to the streets to protest.

We take to the streets to protest because the lives of those whom we honour today were the lives of patriotic, peace- and freedom-loving Filipinos who were brutally killed by the U.S.-backed regime of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Not since the dark days of Martial Law under former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s to 1980s have the Filipino people suffered such repression, state violence, wanton human rights violations, and outright fascist attacks.

Since Arroyo came to power in 2001, there have been over 300 forcible disappearances and attempted political assassinations, and 778 people have fallen victim to her regime’s all-out war against not only her government’s critics but also the people in general.

The 778 killed were ordinary peasants, workers, women, youth, students, priests, church people, and indigenous people from all over the archipelago. Many of those unjustly killed shared a common aspiration to see the Philippines free from foreign and feudal exploitation and oppression. This common vision of freedom propelled them to work tirelessly organizing in their communities as part of the Filipino people’s continuing struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.

It was precisely because of their commitment to justice that their lives were hastily snuffed out by a regime clinging on to political power with an iron-fist. Since Arroyo admitted to electoral fraud in the last presidential elections, there has been a growing movement to oust Arroyo from the presidency not only for her corruption, but also for her anti-people policies.  In a desperate attempt to hang on to her power, Arroyo has launched an all-out war against so-called “enemies of the state”. She even continues to stall peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, exposing her insincerity to work towards a just and lasting peace in the country.

Using the pretext of “a war against terror”, Arroyo is escalating her government’s war against the revolutionary forces of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and Muslim rebel groups. But this war is being waged against civilians, not only armed groups. Just recently, Arroyo announced her intention to crush the national democratic revolution of the CPP in three-years.

Only more bloodshed can be expected from such a reactionary statement. Already, since the start of Arroyo’s counter-insurgency military operation known as Operation Bantay Laya (Freedom Watch), there has been a sharp rise in the number of political killings of legal and democratic social activists and defenders of human rights.

As peace-loving Canadians and Filipinos in Canada we have taken seriously the Filipino people’s call for support and solidarity during these trying times.  All across Canada, Canadians and immigrant and migrant Filipinos have been joining together to call for a stop to the killings and Arroyo’s wanton human rights violations.

As Filipino migrants and immigrants, Arroyo has only helped to deepen the economic and political crisis in the Philippines that drives millions of Filipinos abroad in search of survival in foreign countries. In countries like Canada, where we are the fourth largest immigrant community, we work in the country’s more dirty, difficult, and dangerous low-paying jobs such as domestic work. Therefore, we must press for an immediate end to the killings and for the ouster of the illegitimate and fascist President Arroyo.

As Canadians, we hold dear the principles of democracy, human rights, and social justice. The escalating political killings insults these principles especially since the Canadian government has only shown complacency about the state of democracy in the Philippines. Through aid, foreign assistance and trade, the Canadian government is helping to prop up the fascist regime of Arroyo. Therefore, we must press the Canadian government to defend the principles of human rights and democracy by denouncing the Arroyo regime. We must continue to help raise awareness about the current situation in the Philippines.

So today, as we commemorate the 778 victims of the Arroyo regime and condemn their untimely deaths, we also renew our commitment to uphold the dignity of life. We renew our commitment to hold high the memories of these martyrs whose blood waters the fields of our liberation. We renew our commitment to call for justice for the victims of state terrorism and their families. We renew our commitment to heighten our efforts to build genuine solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle for genuine human rights, freedom, democracy, and a just and lasting peace.

Stop the Political Killings in the Philippines!
Justice for the victims of state terrorism!
Stop Canadian aid to the repressive Arroyo regime!
Support the Filipino people’s call to oust Philippine President Arroyo!
Long live international solidarity!