Filipino-Canadians demand end of Duterte rule

Filipino-Canadians demand end of Duterte rule

Protesters converge on Bathurst and Wilson intersection in Toronto to stage People’s SONA. (Photo: VS Cusi)

People’s SONA in Toronto

By Veronica Silva Cusi
The Philippine Reporter

Tama na! Sobra na! Wakasan na! (Enough is enough! End it now!) After almost six years in power, this is what kababayans in Toronto demanded on the eve of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on July 26.

Protesters converged at the intersection of Bathurst St. and Wilson Ave. in the west end of Toronto — known for rows of plazas of Philippine stores and shops — on July 25 to deliver their People’s SONA, which organizers referred to as the alternative to the “outright lies” that they were expecting from Duterte’s address in Congress. Hundreds gathered mainly at the northwest corner of the intersection, but the crowds spilled to the Bathurst-Wilson Parkette across.

Lies, broken promises, negligence and human rights violations are what the groups have painted the Duterte administration. The groups were led by BAYAN Canada, Malaya Movement in Canada, Migrante Ontario, Gabriela Ontario, Canada-Philippine Solidary Organization (CPSO) and International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines-Toronto (ICHRP).

“Limang taon, limang taon, puro pagpapahirap ng gobyerno ni Rodrigo Duterte sa sambayang Pilipino (Five years of misery for poor Filipinos under the administration of Duterte!),” said Rhea Gamana, secretary general of BAYAN Canada. “Napakinggan natin ang sentimyento ng iba’t-ibang sector, at iisa lang ang panawagan – Duterte, wakasan na! (We have heard the sentiments of the different sectors, and the unanimous demand – end Duterte’s administration!)”

Gamana spoke at the rally on July 25 after representatives from several sectors in Canada – from youth to migrant workers and church leaders – aired their grievances and sentiments against the Duterte administration.
“We are here today to deliver the people’s true state of the nation address on behalf of the Filipino youth … around the world,” said Charity Cruz, who spoke on behalf of ANAKBAYAN Toronto, a comprehensive youth group and chapter of ANAKBAYAN.

RHEA GAMANA
(Photo: VS Cusi)

Among the grievances include:

• the war of drugs, which has claimed lives in thousands in extrajudicial killings;

• the red-tagging of critics;

• the disapproval of the franchise of media company ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. that led to thousands of unemployed in the middle of a global pandemic;

• the poor handling of the pandemic with lockdowns causing tens of thousands unemployed and left on their own;

• the disregard for the Philippine’s sovereignty, particularly on the West Philippine Sea and vis-à-vis US military presence in the Philippines; and

• the breakdown in peace talks with the National Democratic Front.

“Nanaisin pa ba nating manatili pa ang isang administrasyong katulad ng kay Pangulong Duterte (Do we still want Duterte’s administration to stay on)?” she asked, to which the crowd loudly replied: “Hindi (No)! Wakasan na (End it now)!”

For these grievances, Malaya Movement Canada labelled the Duterte administration as “palpak, taksil, korap, walanghiya, ganid, gahaman, pasista at berdugo (a failure, traitor, corrupt, shameless, savage, greedy, fascist and executioner).”

Speakers at the rally also said the Duterte administration had enough time to address the plight of poor Filipinos. However, they also said that Filipinos both in the Philippines and Canada can attest to the fact that the administration has not done much to alleviate their woes.
Anakbayan said that even the Filipino diaspora in Canada and around the world are feeling repercussions of Duterte’s Anti-Terrorism Law signed in 2020, which has been criticized by human rights advocates.

“Legal organizations, like us and ANAKBAYAN, are being red tagged for criticizing the Duterte administration,” said Cruz. “Despite hardships and threats, through intensified red-tagging, the youth continue to fight for genuine independence — free from the exploitation of foreign powers and elite, land grabbing landlords, and self-serving politicians.”

Anakbayan also criticized the Duterte’s administration’s “little to no support” to Filipino students who have been struggling with online or remote learning during the pandemic.

Migrant Filipino workers have also not been spared by the “failure, neglect, and betrayal of the US-China-Duterte” administration.

“For the past five years, the Duterte administration worsened the conditions for Filipinos in the Philippines and abroad” such that the exodus of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) continues, said Migrante Ontario’s Aisha Kaalim.

The migrants group said that during the pandemic, thousands of OFWs have lost their jobs and are still awaiting expatriation assistance. Even Canadian Filipino frontline workers are still waiting for support and protection from the Duterte administration, they said. Despite these, remittances continue to increase.

After the speech, BAYAN Canada denounced Duterte’s statements, which contains his trademark uncalled-for pronouncements.

For example, Duterte ordered people to “kindly shoot them [communists] dead.”

To this, Gamana said: “President Duterte’s pronouncements on killing communists will not tackle the almost 52 years of armed conflict. It doesn’t address the mere fact that these revolutionaries have been waging armed struggle mainly because of abject poverty that the Filipino people have been suffering throughout these years. …. He is hell-bent on crushing the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army), the NDF (National Democratic Front) and all opposition to his regime, and is pushing all-out to prolong his rule.”

Also as expected, Duterte defended his close ties with China and warned critics that going against China could mean war.

“What will I do with a document that does not bind China because they were never a part of that arbitration? …

Ano gusto nila, makipag-giyera, do something? Do you want war against China?” said Duterte, referring to the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the West Philippine Sea in favour of the Philippines.

“That is not true when Duterte said that China was not a part of that arbitration. It was the South China Sea that was under dispute, and China was given the opportunity to present their side,” said Gamana in an email reply to The Philippine Reporter.

“Duterte makes it appear that the Philippines owes China so much, including the administration’s “Build! Build! Build!” projects, donated vaccines, and so much more that he’s not willing to put up a fight against China to defend the sovereignty of the Philippines and the Filipino people. He practically gave up our rightful ownership of the exclusive economic zone to China, and China is gaining control over the Philippines, and the Filipino people are suffering immensely over this dangerous trade off,” she added.