Members of AnakBayan-San Diego joined the People’s SONA (State of the Nation Address) in Los Angeles, CA.
Solidarity Statement:
Good evening and warm militant greetings, Filipino brothers and sisters, distinguished allies and beautiful friends! My name is Eugene Gambol, mass campaigns officer for Anakbayan San Diego, a youth organization fighting for national democracy in the Philippines.
Today, we stand together in solidarity in front of the Philippine Consulate to oppose the two most heartless and oppressive ENEMIES, a corrupt Philippine government puppet to US Imperialism. These two enemies are facing the collapse of the global crisis of monopoly capitalism and are forced to continue deceiving and committing injustices towards the Filipino people to maintain their political and economic power.
Today, July 25th marks the second state of the nation address of the anti-people, pro-foreign and incompetent Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. This ‘national’ performance behind his empty “daang matuwid” or “dreaming is possible again”, is a political facade to mislead the Filipino audience of the broken promises of job development, genuine land reform, human rights violations and many other public ‘reforms’ that have fallen short under his administration.
Back in the homeland, chapters of Anakbayan analyze, organize and mobilize students to protest against the increase tuition of students, largest educational budget cuts IN IN THE HISTORY of the University of the Philippines, and the commercialization of the educational system. According to Anakbayan national Chairperson, Vencer Chrisostomo, “The conditions of the Filipino youth have worsened after a year. The promise of change was clearly a farce. No real change has been instituted in terms of providing access to education and a decent future for the youth, we have instead seen budget cuts for education and social services to favor corruption, military and foreign debt spending.”
Here in the Belie of the Beast, Filipinos in America and other oppressed communities are also fighting for issues of employment, healthcare, education and other basic human rights. Filipino American students experience similar battles of those back in the homeland as they too suffer from this global capitalist crisis. As Filipino American students we study and become aware of our own issues here in the United States but also how it is deeply connected to our Filipino brothers and sisters back in the homeland. We all share the story of family members being uprooted from home and forced to search for jobs abroad.
As these miles of distance separate Filipinos abroad we must recognize that we are only victims of U.S. Imperialism’s military will amongst other countries that pose a threat to American world domination through the humanitarian rhetoric of ‘democracy’ and ‘terrorism’. It hits closer to home as our very own, Melissa Roxas, a Filipino American human rights workers and a member of Bayan-USA who was abducted and tortured under the Arroyo regime. Ms. Roxas’s case was wrongfully decided upon by the Commission on Human Rights that cleared any charges against the real criminals, the Arroyo regime and the AFP. Framed under the American foreign policy of anti-terrorism, Oplan Bayanihan, suppresses the freedom of democratic expression and the proper due process for injustices like Ms. Roxas’s case. So do we as Filipino Americans stand idly by as billions of American tax dollars fund military exercises and military repression amongst people who are fighting for a better way of life? NO!
As the U.S.- Aquino’s hypocrisy comes to light and the voices of the Filipino people continue to express their grievances, we must take a great leap forward against these atrocities and stand in solidarity with our Filipino brothers and sisters throughout the world. We must let our families, our communities, the Aquino regime and US government know our stories of struggle, of injustice and uprootment.
Anakbayan SD 