MALAYA Movement in the U.S. Launches to Oppose Duterte’s Dictatorship
Amidst escalating state-sponsored violence in the Philippines, on February 6, 2018, over 25 concerned community leaders launched the new U.S.-based alliance MALAYA: US Movement Against Killings and Dictatorship and for Democracy in the Philippines. Coming from all over the U.S. and representing the Filipino community, faith leaders, academics, attorneys, youth leaders, business owners, and human rights advocates, the conveners of MALAYA established the new alliance to express their fullest condemnation of the increasingly fascist administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. They also pledged to mobilize more people in the U.S. to stand up for human rights, inviting people to sign MALAYA’s petition as a concrete action the public can take to prevent Duterte from imposing a new dictatorship on the Philippines.
MALAYA–the Filipino word for “free”–also seeks to broaden U.S.-based support for the cause of freedom and democracy in the Philippines. The alliance’s points of unity are:
STOP the KILLINGS: End Duterte’s war on drugs and on those struggling for change
LIFT MARTIAL LAW in Mindanao immediately
SAY NO to ANOTHER FASCIST DICTATORSHIP in the Philippines: stop the abuse of executive power and curtailment of democratic rights and civil liberties
END the SYSTEM OF POLITICAL DYNASTIES and CORRUPTION in the Philippines
STAND for DEMOCRACY: pursue political, economic, and social reforms that benefit the majority of ordinary Filipinos and promote genuine sustainable development in the Philippines.
Co-Lead Convener, Dante Simbulan, Ph.D., a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (1952), turned activist during the Marcos Dictatorship, states:
“MALAYA was successfully launched in the U.S. last February 6, 2018 with conveners coming from all over the U.S. (West Coast, Mid-West, East Coast). This is a timely response to the escalating social, economic and political crises brought about by the mistakes, ineptness, and crimes of Duterte and his minions in both the civilian and military bureaucracy.
Extra-judicial killings (EJKs) or summary executions without due process goes unabated. The internationally-recognized national human rights organization Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights) continues to receive reports from its offices all over the country of killings perpetrated by the military and the police of Duterte. Reports from international human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have also confirmed the Duterte Administration’s disgraceful number of extrajudicial killings and gross human rights violations.
Recently, the International Criminal Court, through Special Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda started an investigation of Duterte. The ICC was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc. We welcome this development and view it as recognition by the international community that something must be done to end the impunity which is running rampant under Duterte.”
MALAYA cited a long list of attacks on the rights of the Filipino people under Trump-backed President Rodrigo Duterte, including:
● over 14,000 people mostly from the ranks of the poor killed under Duterte’s drug war
● a war on the Moro people, indigenous people, and extended martial law throughout Mindanao
● politically-motivated killings, arrests and detentions on fabricated charges against opponents critical of Duterte’s policies and cause-oriented groups struggling for reforms, under the guise of counter-insurgency and the war on terror
● Charter Change to consolidate executive powers, extend terms of elected officials, dissolve congress, exempt lawmakers and administration officials from paying taxes, remove restrictions on 100% foreign ownership of land and strategic enterprises, and remove the ban on foreign bases without Senate concurrence
● Attacks on press freedom, with administration moves to discredit and shutdown independent media outlets which have questioned Duterte’s actions
MALAYA also condemned Duterte’s continual violent, misogynistic and demeaning behavior towards women, pointing to the President’s statement earlier this week when he told the Philippine military to shoot female soldiers of the New People’s Army in the genitals. Dr. Alma Trinidad, Co-Lead Convener of MALAYA and Board President of the Foundation for Philippine Progress remarked:
“The most recent statements by him continue to disrespect women. It encourages government sanctioned processes to commit deep sexual violence during armed conflict and 
struggle. It is a blatant violation of the dignity and rights of women, and indeed a violation of international humanitarian law. Parallel to the struggles of women on the west, Pinays continuously being denigrated and seen as less than, we must rise against systemic oppressive forces.”
MALAYA conveners include young people, who express that they embrace the historically important and crucial role that youth play in organizing for genuine democracy in the Philippines. Troy Osaki, MALAYA convener, poet and Anakbayan leader from Seattle, WA states:
“As a young Filipino American, I stand against President Rodrigo Duterte and his anti-people policies. His U.S. backed regime has proven to target the most marginalized communities of the Philippines while the few in power enjoy impunity and profit off of the Philippine people’s suffering. I recognize the struggles of youth in the U.S. are connectedto the struggles of youth in the Philippines. Instead of adequately funding schools, social services, and resources in the U.S. for young people to succeed, federal funds are being sent to the Philippines to support the Philippine National Police targeting poor youth in the “War on Drugs” and the Armed Forces of the Philippines targeting indigenous children in the “War on Terror.” We face the same enemies and must unite to build a better world and ensure there’s one to leave behind for all youth in the future.”
MALAYA will hold nationally coordinated actions around the U.S. on February 25 to commemorate the “People Power Anniversary” of 1986, when millions of people poured into the streets of the Philippines to demand an end of the dictatorship of then-President Ferdinand Marcos. At the same time, the actions will call attention to the new dictatorship currently looming in the Philippines under Duterte. Along with the International Coalition of Human Rights in Philippines-U.S. (ICHRP-U.S.), MALAYA will also co-sponsor a “Stop the Killings Speaking Tour and Caravan” from April 21- May 11, 2018 featuring speakers from the Philippines who are survivors of human rights violations as well as human rights defenders on the frontlines of the crisis.
MALAYA encourages the community to take action now by signing its petition. To join the MALAYA Movement, sign up HERE to receive updates. For more information about MALAYA and updates about current developments in the Philippines, please visit @MalayaMovement on Facebook.
Initial Conveners: Professor Dante Simbulan; Professor Alma Trinidad; Bishop Eliezer Pascua; Bishop Raul Tobias; Chera Amlag; Professor Nerissa Balce; Dr. Joi Barrios; Rev. Dr. Felicisimo Cao; Josephine Calderon; Pastor Jaime Case; Kenneth Crebillo; Aurora Victoria David; Margaret Dominado; Bernadette Ellorin; Kiwi Illafonte; Joelle Lingat; Ramon Mappala; Professor Ligaya McGovern; Troy Osaki, J.D.; Rev. Father Primo Racimo; Roger Rigor; Professor Robyn Rodriguez; Irma Shauf-Bajar; Professor Neferti Tadiar; Father Toting Tronco; Felix Vinluan, Esq.; Johanna Hester.
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