Canadian National Day in Solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for genuine human rights and democracy.
Statement of the Philippines-Canada Task Force on Human Rights

FROM MARCOS TO ARROYO: OVERSEAS FILIPINOS AND CANADIANS REMEMBER MARTIAL LAW IN SPIRIT OF GENUINE
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

September 21, 2008

On this day 36 years ago, Filipinos around the world and friends of the Filipino people will remember the 16-year horror that was unleashed on the tiny archipelago blessed by three stars and a sun and populated by a people fraught with hunger pangs and mired with the promise of an uncharted freedom.

The declaration of Proclamation 1081 in 1972 was elemental to maintain the “diplomatic” relationship between the United States, governed by thenpresident
Richard Nixon, and the Republic of the Philippines headed then by now-infamous dictator, Ferdinand Marcos. The fury of civil unrest between the Filipino people’s movement (composed of the re-established Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, the explosion of youth and student activism culminating in the monumental First Quarter Storm) and the reactionary government of the Philippines, coupled with the global impacts of the United States’ aggression towards Vietnam drove Marcos to arrest the entire country under the authority of Martial Law.

From 1972 until his overthrow by the popular EDSA people’s uprising in 1986, the Philippines and its people lived alongside unimaginable terrors.From shutting down congress to shutting down freedom of expression; from the imposition of a nightly curfew to the detainment of opposition leaders, activists, journalists and church members, no corner of the Philippines, no one—save for Marcos cronies and their families—was sparred from Marcos’ inhumanly despotic rule. The cruelty of his reign burns within the barbaric statistics: 60, 000 arrested between 1972-1977; over 500 disappeared and murdered between 1975-1980; the increase of army personnel 142,000 by 1983, the plundering of the economy with foreign debt amounting to US$3billion by 1980, and the looting of US$35billion from the Philippine National Treasury.

Over three decades later the omnipotence of Marcos and Martial Law strives erratically in the post 9/11 era of anti-terrorist laws, racial profiling, illegal detainment and torturous interrogation practices.

The Philippines, now under the governance of de facto president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is still bankrupt—the external debt of US$60billion and the sharp inflation of rice from 2.6 % to 6.4% within a year is testament to the poverty; corrupt, with the second generation of Marcos cronies comfortably ruling the government (most notably his children Imee Marcos and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. adhering to the Dynasty of despotism); and militaristic with its primary players elevated further into the power structure (most recently, the “Butcher of Mindoro”, Jovito Palparan Jr.). Over three decades later, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has proven her candidacy for despotism; the over 900 human rights advocates, their supporters, and innocent civilians killed thus far under her administration and the Proclamation of 1017, placing the Philippines under a State of Emergency in 2006, puts her just one declaration away from de facto Dictatorship.

The United States ‘current economic crisis within its mainland territory—the mortgage disaster, the ever skyrocketing oil prices and the collapse of American financial institutions Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earlier this week--necessitates it to plunder and distort smaller economies; exert wars of aggression and occupation to gain further control of smaller economies; mangle human rights and enables Martial Law-like practices so as to remain at the apex of the imperialist tower. The Philippines therefore, continues to be a semicolonial and semi-feudal society as it abides by foreign economic policies dictated by its American Big Brother.

For overseas Filipino workers and their families, this means the intensification of their labour for export and intensification of exploitation of their labour. From
the early dark years of Martial Law, the export of Filipinos as workers in all corners of the world (over 10 million Filipinos are overseas) to the present dark days of political killings, exemplifies the labour of Filipinos as a dynamic commodity in constant demand and fundamental for the maintenance of the Philippine economy.

Though many enter Canada though the Live-in Caregiver Program and through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, the ties to the Philippines are more and direr as the aftershock of each economic quake hits the bank accounts of overseas Filipino workers. The meager wages of the Filipino community, high taxation and inflation in concert with ever soaring prices basic commodities (water, shelter, electricity and rice) accelerates the marginalization and isolation of Filipino community as they are forced to send more remittances back to the Philippines to ensure uncertain future of their families.

Despite the “official” lifting of Martial Law as early as 1981 and defeat of Marcos in after EDSA I, this historical moment, the one we are living in now, is the best and most appropriate moment sharpen the spirit and principle of people-to-people solidarity. Martial Law and Marcos were defeated with the support of international solidarity as was the victory of the Vietnamese people against United States aggression.

Like Filipino-Canadians and Canadians took part in raising awareness and adding their voices to the public international outrcry against Marcos, now 36 years later, peace loving Canadians and Filipino- Canadians are once again renewing their commitment to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for genuine human rights and democracy.

The sharpening and expansion of solidarity beyond the bonds of charity not only commemorates the martyrs and victims of Martial Law; not only symbolizes the struggle against human rights violations that wreak havoc on the people of sovereign nations; solidarity is necessarily about the endurance and commitment towards genuine freedom and democracy. Solidarity is simply not for Third World nations, but must be upheld in Canada and other Western countries—the imprisonment of Canadian Omar Khadr in Guantanamo Bay and Canada’s refusal to defend him is evident of the debasement civil and human rights in lands of “democracies”. The questioning and practice of building genuine democratic actions for a better society in the Philippines and Canada has the potential of being one of the highest expressions of true internationalism and solidarity.

Martial Law! Never Again!
Canada: Stop sending aid and support to the corrupt and fascist Arroyo government!
Support the Filipino people’s call to oust Philippine President Arroyo!
Long live international solidarity!

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