STATEMENT
Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance/Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada (UKPC) - Vancouver

Honour Martyrs and Heroes of the Fallen Dictatorship! Never Again to Martial Law! Oust Philippine president Arroyo!  

September 21, 2006

September 21 marks the 34th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in the Philippines by former dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1972. As Filipino youth in Canada and human rights advocates, we remember and honour the martyrs and heroes of this fallen dictatorship, and the over 750 political activists killed under the repressive regime of current Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the last 5 years. 

The 14 years of martial law by the US-Marcos regime had brought horror to the Filipino people. Up to date, there are still thousands of human rights victims waiting for justice and compensation.  

We also remember the youth and students who marked the historical First Quarter Storm, who in their young ages, dared to bring into the streets their call for genuine change in the Philippines. They saw the brutal impacts of the fascist US-Marcos regime to the Filipino people and never cowed to fight for the liberation of our Motherland.  

These martyrs and heroes of the past dictatorship have always been an inspiration to us as the new generation fighting for liberation of the Filipino people, especially this time that martial law is rearing its ugly face again through the US-Arroyo regime. 

There have been unprecedented numbers of human rights violations committed by the present regime of illegitimate Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her U.S. backers in the name of fighting terrorism. Her launching of "Oplan Bantay Laya" (Operation Guarding Freedom) seeks to eradicate the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the New People's Army (NPA); yet it is the legal and democratic organizations, which have been the target of the military. Oplan Bantay Laya gives license for the military to target everyone, even innocent civilians, who she sees as a threat to her weakening power. 

The past US-led Marcos dictatorship now has a new face as fascism rise again under the US-Arroyo's rule. Although it was an 'undeclared martial law', there have been numerous gruesome human rights violations under the Arroyo regime. In her five years of being in power since 2001, Arroyo has surpassed the human rights violations former dictator Marcos committed in his 20-year rule.  

Up to date, Karapatan, a human rights alliance based in the Philippines, has documented over 750 political killings in the Philippines under the fascist Arroyo regime. Progressive leaders, trade unionists, church workers, peasants, women, children, and fellow youth are targeted. The situation in the Philippines has been parallel to the Marcos regime, but more intense as the Philippines now has been reported by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) as the second most dangerous workplace for journalists (next to Iraq), and the second most dangerous place for trade unionists (next to Colombia).

These political killings, harassment, and abductions happening in the Philippines are Arroyo's way of desperately holding on to her weakening power as an illegitimate president. Under Arroyo's command, the military operation is cowardly abducting and killing those who are asserting their constitutional right to speak out against a failing socio-economic system and a corrupt government.  

For Filipinos abroad like us, it is the economic and political crisis in the Philippines that has forced us to migrate abroad. 3,000 Filipinos leave the Philippines everyday, making the Philippines the number one source of migrant labour in the world. One of their destinations is Canada. But here in Canada, we still face many barriers such as systemic racism, resulting to furthermore marginalization of our community.  

For the youth in particular, systemic racism is implemented to our youth through Canada Immigration and Citizenship's (CIC) Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP), which stipulates women to be separated from their families for an average of five years, or longer. When they are finally reunited here in Canada, they are re-united as strangers, and at the same time, our youth have to adjust to a new environment with little or no support to integrate in this society. This experience of trauma of family separation, reunification, and migration takes toll in our youth, causing our youth more social problems and further marginalization. 

It is for this reason we stand in solidarity with our compatriots in the Philippines and around the world in this 34th anniversary of the martial law declaration. The worsening situation in the Philippines has forced us to be out of our Motherland. The semi-colonial and semi-feudal state of the Philippines make the Filipino nation slaves in their own land, due to US imperialism. In the past, U.S. imperialist has led the Marcos dictatorship, now the Arroyo regime. 

As young Filipinos in Canada, we demand the ouster of Arroyo, and denounce any imperialist agenda in our country. We will never tire of our struggle for national and social liberation of the Filipino people, and a genuine lasting peace in the Philippines.  

Never again to martial law! 

Oust illegitimate Philippine president Arroyo! 

The people united, will never be defeated! 

Makibaka! Huwag Matakot! 

Kabataang Makabayan, Lumalaban! 

For more information, please contact:

Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada/the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance - BC (UKPC/FCYA-BC)

Email: ukpc_fcya@kalayaancentre.net, Telephone: 604.215.1103