National Statement of Overseas Filipinos in Canada

SUPPORT THE CONTINUING STRUGGLE OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE AGAINST  THE US-ARROYO REGIME'S WAR OF TERROR!

May 1, 2007

As overseas Filipinos in Canada, we salute all workers of the world in the spirit of international solidarity on International Workers’ Day!

Today, as we march in solidarity with workers around the world against the heightened attacks of imperialism and its local puppets against the working-class, we also express our condemnation of U.S. imperialism and the puppet regime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and its brutal attacks on the Filipino people.  These attacks are their desperate attempt to prolong the repressive and exploitative rule in the Philippines on the one hand and, on the other, to crush the national democratic revolution being waged by the people.

Since coming into power in 2001, the US-Arroyo regime has surpassed the Marcos dictatorship in violating the people's civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and the national sovereignty of the Filipino people.  The Bush-instigated war of terror has generated summary executions, massacres, enforced disappearances, torture and other atrocities against the people.  Subjected to bombings and heavy militarization, hundreds of thousands of villagers leave their homes to give way to multinational mining and other corporations.  Prof. Jose Maria Sison, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army are misrepresented as terrorists.

To date, the US-Arroyo regime has killed more than 830 leaders and members of progressive and militant organizations and enforcedly disappeared more than 200 while 357 have survived assassination attempts by elements of the regime's military and police.  With the implementation of the US-sponsored Oplan Bantay-Laya Part II (Operation Freedom Watch patterned after US Operation Phoenix in Vietnam), a further intensification of the killings is imminent.

There is a clear and defined link between the killings and the US-led "war on terror".  What is happening in the Philippines is also happening in many countries where US imperialist troops or surrogate armies use "unconventional warfare" tactics especially against unarmed civilians.  These tactics, masquerading as "counter-terrorist measures", constitute gross and systematic violations of human rights and the rights of people to liberation and self-determination in flagrant disregard of international laws.

As overseas Filipinos in Canada, we are one with our compatriots in our homeland in their determination to fight against the US-Arroyo's heightened war of terror and fascist aggression.

We firmly oppose the anti-people and murderous character of the US-Arroyo regime.  Through its Labour Export Policy (LEP), the US-Arroyo regime forces us to migrate to Canada in order to survive.  The regime uses our remittances as a way to prop up its ailing economy, but when we turn to the regime’s Embassy and consulate offices for help, we find them inutile and unwilling to assist us.  For example, many of our compatriots have come to Canada under the racist and anti-woman Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) and have found themselves in abusive and exploitative situations.  While we call Canada to account for its exploitative immigration policies like the LCP, we also denounce the US-Arroyo regime for continuing to sell us abroad as a way to earn foreign exchange and quell the growing social unrest in our homeland.

Therefore, as overseas Filipinos in Canada, now the fourth largest visible minority community in Canada, we express our full support for the efforts of our compatriots to frustrate the US-Arroyo regime in every arena of struggle whether in the legal mass movement, in the factories, in the streets, in schools and universities, in their communities and in the countryside where the Red fighters of the New People's Army are inflicting fatal blows and heavy losses against the reactionary forces.

We have confidence in the ability of the Filipino people to win in their fight against the brutal attacks of the US-Arroyo regime.  The regime is becoming more isolated because of popular resistance and global condemnation.

At the same time, we deem it necessary to extend to the Filipino people all possible encouragement and assistance in their just struggle.  We call on parties, organizations and individuals to join the Filipino people in frustrating the US-Arroyo regime's war of terror and support their struggle for national liberation and democracy.

Expose and oppose the plunderous and  murderous character of the US-Arroyo regime!
Support the continuing struggle of the Filipino People  for national liberation!
Long live international solidarity of the people against imperialism and reaction!

National Statement of:
National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada
SIKLAB-Canada (Advance the Rights & Welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers and Their Families)
Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance - National