Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

Progressive Filipinos in Vancouver will rally outside of the Philippine Consulate offices in downtown Vancouver this Monday to call for a stop to the political killings of activists in the Philippines and for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

According to the human rights group Karapatan, since 2001 when Arroyo came to power, there have been 690 extra judicial killings of political activists and other civilians. Women and children, priests, lawyers, trade unionists, peasants and progressive politicians are included in the list of those killed. The list may be viewed at cp-union.org.

In Vancouver, a mock funeral march and protest rally and vigil will take place in front of the Philippine Consulate offices at 700 West Pender (at Granville) on Monday, July 24, 2006 from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m. Rallyists will display the names and some pictures of the 690 people killed on tombstones and light candles to protest what they see as the Arroyo-sanctioned killings.

The rally is part of other nationally and internationally-coordinated events to coincide with Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address and the filing of a new impeachment complaint in the Philippine House of Representatives on Monday, July 24, 2006.

“Arroyo’s recent announcement of directing P1 billion in her all-out war efforts to crush the revolutionary movement of the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is taking away from badly needed basic services like job creation, education and health care,” says May Farrales of Philippine Women Centre of BC. “Her all-out war is now even targeting civilians who are progressive members of people’s organizations and political parties,” she says.

“In her State of the Nation Address, Arroyo will again likely deceivingly use the $12 billion USD we, as Overseas Filipino Workers send in remittances annually as proof that the economy is improving,” says Glecy Duran, Chair of SIKLAB – Vancouver (Advance and Uphold the Rights of Overseas Filipino Workers). “Meanwhile, the Philippine government does not provide jobs at home or offer protection and services to Filipino live-in caregivers in Canada who face all kinds of exploitation and abuse,” she adds.

The protesters will be joined by Canadian human rights and solidarity organizations and individuals.

In Vancouver, progressive Filipino organizations are also sponsoring a forum entitled, “The People’s State of the Nation” on Sunday, July 23, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. at the Kalayaan Centre, 451 Powell St. The forum will feature Maita Santiago, Secretary-General of MIGRANTE – International an alliance of Filipino migrant worker organizations and Carlo Sayo, a member of the Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance, who recently returned from a five-month exposure trip to the Philippines.