Protection urged for Brandon Lee, U.S. activist journalist

Protection urged for Brandon Lee, U.S. activist journalist

Congresswoman Judy Chu and Southern Californians demand protection from U.S. government for nearly-assassinated American activist and journalist in the Philippines

PASADENA, CA–On Wednesday, September 4, 2019, concerned community members and human rights leaders together with Congresswoman Judy Chu gathered at the California-Pacific Conference Center of the United Methodist Church to hold a press conference on the urgent case of Brandon Lee, a U.S. citizen who was nearly assassinated and put in critical condition after reportedly being harassed, surveilled, and sent death threats by members of the Philippine military.

Brandon Lee, 37, is a volunteer paralegal, journalist, and prominent indigenous and environmental rights activist who has lived in the Philippines since 2010. On August 6, Lee was gunned down in front of his home in Ifugao (northern Philippines) by suspected Philippine military. Today, Lee survived several gunshot wounds and eight cardiac arrests.

Speakers at the press conference spoke on the urgent need for the U.S. government to ensure the safety of Lee as family members have reported continued surveillance of Lee at the hospital by unknown men and Philippine soldiers. Lauren Quirarte, cousin of Brandon Lee, shared that their family has reached out to the U.S. embassy for Lee’s protection, but have been referred to outside agencies instead.

The panel of speakers also expressed grave concern over the allocation of U.S. tax dollars and military aid to the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte whose administration has targeted human rights defenders and peace advocates, such as Lee.

“For years, the government of the Philippines has been waging war on farmers and the indigenous population, illegally taking their land so that natural resources can be exploited. Fortunately though, there are people like Brandon [Lee] in the world. He knew that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere,” Congresswoman Judy Chu of California’s 27th Congressional District and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, shared in her statement condemning Lee’s attack.
Congresswoman Chu is the first U.S. Congress member to publicly speak and condemn Lee’s attack in the Philippines, issuing a public statement on August 19, strongly urging the U.S. embassy in Manila to ensure Brandon’s safety and take measures to protect him.

“This is an obvious assassination attempt from a government that is increasingly hostile to advocates like Brandon. While the local police are supposed to be protecting him, there is no guarantee at all of his safety”. Congresswoman Chu finished her statement reiterating the urgency for the U.S. embassy in Manila to “ensure Brandon’s safety and take measures to protect him.”
Quirarte spoke about her deep concern for the safety of her cousin, and urged the U.S. government to move swiftly to protect Lee from his assailants, ensure the safety of Lee and his family members, and medically evacuate Lee back to the U.S:  “We need help. We need immediate safety for Brandon. We need protection for him and his family now, and while they return home to the U.S. in San Francisco at a hospital of our family’s choice, and we need to bring justice to his perpetrators.”

Other panel speakers included Reverend David Farley, Director of the California-Pacific Justice & Compassion Essential Ministry Team of the United Methodist Church and Joyous Prim of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) both recently returned from the Philippines on a peace delegation, and met with Lee’s colleagues and many others affected by the Duterte government’s increasing militarization, political repression, and targeted attacks against human rights activists, attorneys, environmental rights activists, and faith leaders.  Prim spoke on her visit to Negros Oriental, a region where 66 farmers and activists have been gunned down since Duterte took office in July 2016.
“It was quick to see that this [attack on Brandon] was not an isolated case,” says Prim. “While in the Philippines, we saw calculated attacks on not just the poor, but anyone that is willing to speak out against the government. And it is these attacks that are being funded by our U.S. tax dollars, to fund the police and army that are continuing to kill and harass innocent civilians.”

Audine Tayag of the Malaya Movement: U.S. Movement Against Killings & Dictatorship in the Philippines ended the press conference with the continued call for an end to U.S. police and military support to the Philippines, which under President Duterte’s administration is being used to fund human rights violations. “It is unconscionable that the very bullets that were used on Brandon may have been funded by U.S tax dollars,” added Tayag. “We want Congress to put a moratorium on U.S. military aid immediately until it has made sure we are not funding human rights violations in the Philippines.” Earlier this year, ICHRP released a document breaking down the $193.5 million of U.S. aid to the Philippine police and military in 2018 alone.

Concerned individuals may contact their local representatives to urge the U.S. embassy to protect and seek justice for Brandon Lee. Donations for Lee’s medical fund are also accepted at https://www.gofundme.com/f/4bfk5-fundraising-for-brandon-lee.

(PRESS RELEASE)