Toronto rally marks 39th year of Martial Law in PH

Toronto rally marks 39th year of Martial Law in PH

By Pet Cleto

TORONTO –“End Impunity Now! Justice Now!”

These were the rallying cries heard at the Bathurst-Wilson Parquette as Filipino migrant workers’ organizations in Toronto greeted the 29th year of Ferdinand Marcos’s 1972 declaration of Martial Law. It was a sombre rally and program, with posters with the faces and names of several victims of state repression throughout those 39 years lined the edge of the park.

The organizations were led by Migrante Canada and Bayan Canada, two Canada-wide Filipino alliances.

The cries are as authentic and urgent as they were years ago, these organizations say, because not much has changed, despite the deposition, death and infamy of Ferdinand Marcos. The presidents who have followed him, they add, have continued a legacy of state violence and repression against the majority of the Filipino masses. In sum, they say that state violence is the government’s answer to the fact that people are increasingly protesting the poverty and unjust labour conditions created by an economy that is as makeshift and bankrupt as ever, and by a political situation which keeps the economy export-oriented, import-dependent, and mismanaged by corrupt officials at all levels of government.

Bridge Cosme Dang-ay, Binnadang (Cordillera Peoples Organization)

In memory of all those victims of state repression from Martial Law days to the present, members of GABRIELA-Ontario and Filipino Migrant Workers’ Movement or FMWM read some stories of women and men who were victims of state violence. Elvie Saing read the story of Ma. Lorena Barros (MAKIBAKA founder); Pet Cleto read the story of Purificacion Pedro (social worker), Tan Canchela read Fr. Tulio Favali’s (assassinated by the Manero brothers), Hermie Aceret read Eden Marcellana’s (of Karapatan, Mindoro) and Jay Carpio read Fr. Nilo Valerio’s (disappeared in the 1970s).

Jonathan Canchela

Jonathan Canchela of FMWM said: “We need to remember the days of Martial Law and learn from them. We must pledge to oppose any attempt to repeat it. At the same time, we need to condemn the continuing political persecution of people who are actively protesting the government’s corruption and outright neglect of the people’s welfare.”

Observing that through the subsequent administration years of Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo, right to this year of Benigno Aquino, III, Canchela noted that the political and economic situation has increasingly grown worse than the period of Martial Law, and consequently, there has been no spate in the continuance of the pattern of human rights violations. It has been atrocious that the government has washed its hands of all responsibility regarding them, he said, and pointed out that not a single perpetrator has been brought to justice, although there are many evidences and testimonies about these violent acts.

Louie Queaño and Henessy Cruz.

Mithi Esguerra of Anakbayan Canada spoke about the situation of the youth, and how education is now more out of reach of the larger majority, and therefore their chances of employment are further decreasing.

Speaking for Migrante Canada, Maru Maesa listed the several just demands that the peace-loving and justice-loving people of the Philippines want fulfilled: Free political prisoners; Make GMA accountable for her crimes against the people; Justice for the victims of extra-judicial killings; Bring forth the leaders and members of progressive organizations who have been victims of forced disappearances; Stop the violation of the people’s human rights. The call for the people was, of course: Fight corruption in the government.

Hermie Aceret,Gabriela Ontario

Maesa stressed the fact that the people must be always vigilant, and stand up and claim their rights to a just and peaceful Philippines, since “history has shown us that the government is cruelly violent in protecting its power and wealth, and is set on ignoring the human rights and the welfare of the large majority of Filipino people.”

Maru Maesa, Migrante

Ging Luciano proudly wears her Philippine flag jacket at the rally in commemoration of the 39th anniversary of martial law on Sept. 17 in the Bathurst-Wilson Park.