Filipinos react to the passing of the watered-down NDP motion on Palestine

Filipinos react to the passing of the watered-down NDP motion on Palestine

Minister Rechie Valdez,
Liberal MP-Streetville

‘Mixed feelings’

Leading up to a critical vote in Parliament on Gaza, a network of Filipino individuals, organizations, and businesses in Canada united to pressure Minister Rechie Valdez, Canada’s first Filipino woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament, to vote in favour of the NDP Opposition Motion to promote peace in the Middle East.

March 22, 2024

TORONTO–On March 18th, Canada’s elected officials met in Parliament to vote on an NDP Opposition Motion that included calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, an arms embargo between Canada and Israel, reinstatement of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), and recognition of the state of Palestine. This non-binding motion represented the first time that Canada’s Members of Parliament would have the opportunity to debate and vote on Canada’s response to the genocide in Gaza.

In the days leading up to the motion, members of Filipinos United 4 Palestine, a coalition of Filipino individuals, organizations, and businesses in Canada working together in solidarity with Palestine, quickly mobilized to pressure Rechie Valdez, MP for Mississauga-Streetsville and the first Filipino woman to be elected as a Member of Parliament of Canada and to serve as a federal cabinet minister.

“We know our power and influence as a Filipino community and the significance of Minister Rechie’s contributions to the country, so we saw this as an opportunity to educate our community on the Canadian parliamentary system and how we can let our elected officials hear our demands in meaningful ways,” says Mauriene Tolentino, one of the organizers of Filipinos United 4 Palestine.

Liberal MP and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly

The group published an open letter urging Minister Valdez to vote for the NDP motion. Within less than two weeks, the letter was circulated widely on social media, garnering a reach of over 30,000 views on Instagram and 258 signatories from Filipino community members, businesses, and organizations across Canada including British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, Alberta, Ontario and New Brunswick.

At the 11th hour of the debate, the Liberals submitted amendments to the original NDP motion. Liberal MP and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly defended the amendments at a press conference, arguing that it was intended to get the biggest consensus within their party. The final motion was supported by the Bloc Québécois, Greens and almost all of the Liberal MP’s, including Minister Rechie Valdez.

MP Marco Mendicino, the current chair of the Canada-Philippines Interparliamentary Group, was one of the only three Liberals who voted against.

One significant amendment changed the language from a unilateral recognition of the state of Palestine to “work with international partners to actively pursue the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including towards the establishment of the State of Palestine as part of a negotiated two-state solution, and maintain Canada’s position that Israel has a right to exist in peace and security with its neighbours.”

Gelaine Santiago, member of Filipinos United 4 Palestine

“‘Mixed feelings’ is the best way to describe how we feel about the amended NDP motion,” says Gelaine Santiago, a small business owner and member of Filipinos United 4 Palestine. Santiago explains that on one hand, the motion forced the Canadian government to discuss and vote on the demands that Palestinian-led community groups have been clamouring for. “Of course, it’s not enough,” she adds, “the version of the motion that passed is a watered-down version of the initial language proposed by the NDP.”

The anti-Palestinian rhetoric that came out of the debate in the House of Commons, mostly coming from the Conservative side of the floor, was ultimately reflected in the amended version of this motion. In addition to the changes to the recognition of the Palestinian state, Palestinian Youth Movement also notes that the motion signified that the Canadian government is not committed to:

• Imposing sanctions on Israel occupation leaders who encite genocide

• Increasing family reunification applicants from evacuees fleeing Gaza

• Halting the purchase of military goods and technology from Israel

While the motion was non-binding, the Liberal government announced the next day that they are indeed ceasing new arms exports to Israel. Various Palestinian rights advocacy groups such as World Beyond War, Labour for Palestine, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, and the National Council for Canadian Muslims vow to continue pressuring the government to fulfill the resolutions in the motion.

“Passing this motion is only the beginning of ending Canada’s complicity in the genocide and oppression of the Palestinian people,” says Allos Abis, a member of the group and the initiator of the open letter. “As Filipinos, we see ourselves in the Palestinian people because of our shared history of colonialism and state violence. We will continue to organize in solidarity with the Palestinian national liberation movement until Palestine is free.”

To learn more about Filipinos United 4 Palestine and stay informed of their work, follow them on Instagram at @filipinosunited4palestine.

———————————–

Filipinos United 4 Palestine is a network of Filipino individuals, organizations, and businesses in Canada working together for a free Palestine. Through direct actions, political organizing, and community education, we are uniting Filipinos across the country to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the end of the oppression of the Palestinian people. Learn more at @filipinosunited4palestine on Instagram.