SIKLAB-BC
Press Release

Overseas Filipinos in Canada rally to demand ouster of corrupt Philippine President

March 11, 2008

Vancouver, B.C. – Last February 29th, members of progressive Filipino organizations delivered an open letter and rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate office in downtown Vancouver to show their support to the Filipino people’s call to oust President Arroyo.  These actions coincided with mass mobilizations taking place in the Philippines and in other countries around the world. 

Around 30 members of the local progressive Filipino community and their supporters held a spirited program outside the busy downtown offices catching the attention and support of many passersby including a few Filipino workers and seafarers.

Led by members of local progressive Filipino organizations, community members and allies spoke about how the corrupt Arroyo government has plundered and negatively affected the Philippine economy, human rights, and women and migrant’s safety around the world. 

Members of the Philippine Women Centre, SIKLAB, the Filipino Nurses Support Group, the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance, and the BC Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines expressed their outrage over the latest developments in the over $320 million national broadband network deal with Chinese telecommunications company – ZTE scandal. They were especially outraged that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and other top government officials are reported to have profited millions in overpricing and kickbacks on the controversial deal.

According to the IBON Foundation, an independent think tank, Arroyo’s seven years of Presidency have cost the Filipino people over $7 billion.   

“As Overseas Filipino Workers in Canada, we are directly affected by the political and economic crisis in the Philippines,” said Arlene Oropel of SIKLAB-BC. “Having to work abroad to put food in our families’ mouths and put our children in school, we are outraged by the NBN-ZTE scandal,” she said.

Since her presidency began in 2001, Arroyo has been linked to corruption within her government, increased human rights violations, and has been subservient to foreign interests and US domination.  Increasing rates of unemployment and political unrest pushes 3,000 Filipino migrant workers out of the Philippines to work abroad everyday, and the country’s economy is being kept afloat by these workers’ remittances. 

Although there have been increasing numbers of mobilizations numbering around 80,000 in the Philippines, Arroyo continues to deny the people of their democratic rights and refuses to hear the peoples call for truth within her administration. 

“Instead of helping our fellow kababayans, [countrymen], Arroyo has hurt them with over-taxation, inflation of daily needs, and no future but to go abroad,” said Oropel. “Meanwhile from the Philippine consulate, we get lip service when we ask questions and silence when we ask for help,” she said. “We are the modern-day heroes and milking-cows of the Arroyo government.”

SIKLAB-BC along with other progressive organizations vows to step up their campaign to support the call for Arroyo’s ouster. They will be holding a community public forum entitled, “What’s After People Power? Lessons from Edsa I and II” on Sunday, March 30, 2008 from 1-4 p.m. at the Kalayaan Centre, 451 Powell St. in Vancouver.

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Please go to: http://kalayaancentre.net/assets/images/photos/2008/29feb08_vancouver_ogma.htm

Please go to the following link to watch video footage of the rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eRVT-CaARo&eurl=http://www.kalayaancentre.net/

For more information, please call: Hetty at: 604-215-1103 or e-mail: siklab@kalayaancentre.net

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