Marcos-Duterte record on human rights denounced

Marcos-Duterte record on human rights denounced

(Photo by Mateo Miranda)

At Toronto’s Earl Bales Park on International Human Rights Day:

December 13, 2021

By Veronica Silva Cusi
The Philippine Reporter

In commemoration of International Human Rights Day last December 10, Filipino Canadian groups and solidarity partners on December 12 assembled at Toronto’s “Little Manila” to call attention to the upcoming May 9, 2022 elections and the human rights records of the Marcos-Duterte team.

Rosie Lucente, chairperson of Anakbayan Toronto. (Photo by Mateo Miranda)

Led by BAYAN Canada, the groups cried “No to Marcos-Duterte in 2022,” referring to presidential contender Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice-presidential running mate, Sara Duterte. Marcos is the namesake and son of the former Philippine dictator who ruled for 20 years, almost 14 years of which were under Martial Law. Duterte is the daughter of current president Rodrigo Duterte, who is being accused of being a dictator for almost single-handedly ruling the Philippines with an iron fist.

Marcos was ousted in 1986 in the bloodless PeoplePower Revolution. Under Philippine law, the president can serve only one six-year term. But political dynasties pervade in the Philippines. The Marcoses have served or currently serve in elective posts — another Marcos child, Maria Imelda “Imee” Marcos, is currently senator; mother Imelda Romualdez Marcos served as House Representative (Congresswoman) for a district previously held by son Bongbong, fondly called BBM, who also served as senator.

Sara Duterte is currently mayor of Davao City, a post previously held by her father. Brother Paolo is currently a House Representative but was vice-mayor of Davao City. Brother Sebastian is the current vice-mayor.

“The fact that Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte are running for president and vice-president, respectively, shows that the entire system in the Philippines is rotten,” said Rosie Lucente, chairperson of Anakbayan Toronto, a comprehensive organization of Filipino youth and students for national democracy, told The Philippine Reporter. “And it’s not just because they are related by blood, but Bongbong and Sara themselves have allegedly carried out crimes against the Filipino people.”

Ariel Siagan of Student Christian Movement Canada speaks at a rally on human rights in the Philippines held on December 12 at the Bathurst-Wilson Parkette. The event was held on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on December 10. (Photo by Mateo Miranda)

The Marcoses have been accused of plundering the Philippines of over $10 billion during their 20-year rule. In 2019, the Philippine Sandiganbayan, the country’s anti-graft court, rejected an attempt to recover PhP200 billion of alleged ill-gotten wealth from the family. However, they did say that it “acknowledges the atrocities committed during Martial Law under the Marcos regime and the ‘plunder’ committed on the country’s resources.” In 2016, a group called iBalik ang Bilyones ng Mamamayan (iBBM), roughly translated in English as “bring back the billions of money of the people,” filed a PhP205-million plunder complaint against then Senator Bongbong Marcos “for alleged involvement the pork barrel scam.”

For their part, the Dutertes, including Sara, have been found to have increased their wealth six-fold during their time in public office.

Apart from unexplained wealth, Marcos and Duterte have been accused of political killings and extrajudicial killings during their rule.

The human rights abuses under the Martial Law rule of Marcos have been recognized when thousands of victims won a class-action suit in Hawaii for torture, summary executions and enforced disappearances (called in the Philippines as desaparecidos).

Payments in millions of dollars have already been awarded to eligible victims.

Rhea Gamana, secretary-general of BAYAN Canada. (Photo by Mateo Miranda)

The Netherlands-based International Criminal Court has recommended an investigation into alleged human rights violations of Duterte on his “war on drugs” campaign that has claimed at least 6,000 lives, most of them from the low-income sector of Philippine society.

From 2017 to 2019, the island of Mindanao was placed under Martial Law by President Duterte, and alleged human rights violations were reported.

Lucente said Filipino groups in Toronto and their partners in solidarity have been doing outreach to properly educate qualified Filipino voters abroad, including overseas Filipino workers or temporary foreign workers in Canada, on their right to vote, and the track record of the Marcos-Duterte team.

The groups that organized a rally at the intersection of Bathurst Ave. and Wilson St., fondly known locally as Little Manila, also condemned attempts to silence critics ofthe Duterte administration.

“Mahalagang alalahanin ang Human Rights Day sapagkat ito ang malalang kalagayan ngayon sa Pilipinas kung saan maraming pinapaslang, ikinukulong ng walang batayan at nire-red tag dahil sa pagtataguyod nila ng kanilang mga karapatan. (It is important to recognize Human Rights Day because of the dire situation in the Philippines where many are being killed, imprisoned without due process, and red-tagged for supporting human rights)” said Lui Queano, convenor of Malaya Movement Canada. “Angkop din na dapat isyu ang usaping Human Rights na dapat ay binibitbit ng mga kumakandidato sa eleksyon 2022 (Human rights should be an issue in the 2022 elections).”

Lui Queaño, convenor of Malaya Canada. (Photo by Mateo Miranda)

The groups have criticized Duterte’s anti-people policies, such as the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ECLAC) and the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which they say are meant to silence critics using state resources.
Lucente added that Filipinos in Canada cannot live out their Canadian dreams unless the root causes of migration, that are tied to struggles in the Philippines, are not addressed. Some of these struggles include the political turmoil, labour export policy, and the lack of job opportunities.

BAYAN has issued a 20-point program which they are asking 2022 elections candidates to support.

The Filipino groups are calling attention to candidates who are taking up the cause of migrants. Some of these candidates are human rights lawyer Neri Colmenares, former Party List representative running for senator, and the Makabayan Bloc for Party List Representatives.

Aside from BAYAN Canada and the Malaya Movement, other groups who were in attendance included Migrante Ontario, Anakbayan Seattle, FILCASA, Kabayan for Leny, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), Canada-Philippines Solidarity Organization-Toronto (CPSO), some members of the Kurdish community, Latin-American and Caribbean Solidarity Network (LACSN), Communist Party of Canada – Marxist-Leninist, Student Christian Movement Canada, and some members of the Tamil Freedom Coalition.

Olivia Blahuta of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) speaks at a rally on human rights in the Philippines held on December 12 at the Bathurst-Wilson Parkette. The event was held on the occasion of International Human Rights Day on December 10. (Photo by Mateo Miranda)