National Press Release
“Stop the Killings in the Philippines” Campaign in Canada

STOP THE KILLINGS IN THE PHILIPPINES CAMPAIGN IN CANADA ON THE MOVE

17 September 2006

Throughout Canada, Filipino-Canadians and concerned Canadians are uniting to take part in the international campaign to “Stop the Killings” in the Philippines. From Vancouver, to Winnipeg, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, there is a groundswell of distress, disgust and outrage over the state of human rights and democracy in the Philippines.

Karapatan, a human rights alliance in the Philippines, has documented over 750 extra-judicial killings and 181 forced disappearances since 2001 when Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power.

These killings come at a time of intensifying state terrorism, increased disappearances, unjust arrests, tortures, summary executions, and gross human rights violations under Arroyo and her military counter-insurgency campaign Oplan Bantay Laya (Operation Freedom Watch). The overwhelming majority of the victims of Oplan Bantay Laya are leaders and members of progressive community organizations, like the Cordillera People’s Alliance, militant trade unions, human rights groups, and political parties, like Bayan Muna (People First) asserting national freedom, social justice, democracy, and lasting peace in the Philippines.

Although miles away, the news of political killings and relentless cases of human rights violations and harassment of innocent civilians has stirred the peace-loving and patriotic sentiments of Canadians and Filipinos to take action in the international campaign.

In Toronto, over 40 people attended a community forum to help bring awareness about the state of human rights in the Philippines and to try to get a better understanding of why such violations are taking place. Not only giving their attention to education, Canadians and Filipinos in Toronto have also been carrying out rallies protesting the on-going killings.

In Montreal, the community rallied together at a community discussion to learn more about the current situation in the Philippines and plan out ways in which they can mobilize more support for the Filipino people’s struggle for genuine human rights and peace. They have also been active in holding protest actions denouncing the Arroyo government for its use of state terror on its people.

In Winnipeg, over 30 people, mostly young Filipinos and Canadians, held a lively and insightful discussion at the University of Winnipeg which ended in a fruitful discussion on the international campaign and how the community in Manitoba can get involved.

In Vancouver, local Filipino organizations and Canadian groups have been staging weekly vigils at the Philippine consulate to register the community’s discontent and rage about the current situation in the Philippines. Each week, the organizations highlight different sectors of Philippine society who have fallen victim to Arroyo’s repressive regime to raise the public’s awareness about the current state of democracy in the Philippines. The weekly vigils have garnered great interest and growing support from passers-by in Vancouver’s downtown core.  They urge Philippine Consul General Minerva Falcon to take a public stand against the political killings.  Organizers and supporters plan to continue these weekly vigils into October.

Also in Vancouver, on September 3, the B.C. Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines joined with BIBAK, a local organization of overseas Filipinos from the Cordillera region in Northern Philippines, to honour martyred heroes of the Cordillera who have fallen victim to the Arroyo regime. The emotionally-charged evening drew around 100 community members and concerned Canadians. Family and friends of Markus Bangit and Alyce Claver, two progressive and peace-loving community leaders of the region who were both mercilessly gunned down and killed, gave testimonials and personal tributes about the life and times of the fallen heroes.

Letty Malaggay, a relative of Bangit now living in Vancouver, spoke of the 47-year old’s exemplary life, great patience and important contribution he made in uniting and leading the people of his province and region towards a just and lasting peace. She blasted the perpetrators behind Bangit’s brutal murder and called for justice.

Filipinos in Canada are one of the largest immigrant communities in the country. As the world’s number one migrant nation, more and more Filipinos abroad are being directly affected by the state terrorism of the Arroyo regime.

Uniting around the family, friends, and communities’ cries for justice, Filipinos and Canadians are resolved to continue to build genuine solidarity with the Filipino people in their fight against repression and for genuine human rights, democracy, and peace.

Local steering committees for the “Stop the Killings” Campaign are planning a series of educational and fundraising events throughout the fall in their respective cities.  They  plan to take part in internationally-coordinated actions on September 21 marking the 34th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines under former dictator Marcos.  They will also be sending a Canadian delegation for a Fact-Finding Mission to the Philippines in November 2006.

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