Malaya Movement USA 5-year history
The Beginning of a movement
The conceptualization of the Malaya Movement started in the fall of 2017. This was sparked by concerns and protests against Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” and the killing of Kian Delos Santos, a 17 year old senior high school student who was shot by the Police in a dark alley in Caloocan in the drug war. The formation of the Malaya Movement was further given urgency by what the Filipino community in the United States sensed was a looming dictatorship and rising fascism in the Philippines. Its formation took inspiration from the vibrant anti-Marcos dictatorship movement of overseas Filipinos in the 70s and 80s.
In the spring of 2018, February, community leaders representing various sectors from across the United States came together and launched the Malaya Movement. Various community leaders came together under five points of unity: 1) Stop the Killings - end Duterte’s war on drugs and on human rights defenders; 2) Lift martial law in Mindanao; 3) No to another fascist dictatorship; 4) End the system of political dynasties and corruption; and 5) Stand for Democracy. Immediately, the newly formed Malaya Movement sprung into action, joining the organizing of a speaking tour that raised awareness about the human rights situation in the Philippines.
Brief History of the Malaya Movement
In the summer of 2018, the Malaya Movement garnered much visibility for its “Black Sunday Protest” and “Die-in” at the Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City. The northeast chapter of the Malaya Movement, together with other organizations, led the largest and most visible protest against the Duterte regime outside of the Philippines then. The Malaya Movement called on the Filipino diaspora and international community to “resist against Duterte’s fascist dictatorship” and “defend human rights and democracy in the Philippines.” It also held a die-in to bring attention to the thousands of victims of the war on drugs and other human rights violations of the Duterte regime in the Philippines.
In 2019, the Malaya Movement led the charge to convene the first National Summit for Human Rights and Democracy in the Philippines. The Summit gathered 380 individuals from across the United States to discuss various issues in the Philippines and advocacies. The summit resolved to call for the ouster of the Duterte regime and to expand and strengthen the anti-dictatorship movement in the United States. The Summit also passed several other resolutions embodied in its “Declaration of Unity,” including the addition of the sixth point of unity: Defend Philippine Sovereignty. After the Summit, attendees participated in a legislative advocacy effort in the U.S. congress to demand an end to U.S. support for the Duterte regime. As a result, that summer, the U.S. Congress’ House Foreign Affairs Committee - SubCommittee on Asia, Pacific and Non-Proliferation held a briefing wherein the human rights issues in the Philippines were tackled.
In 2020, the Malaya Movement carried out the resolutions from the National Summit. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malaya Movement continued to take action creatively. The movement organized webinars, online protests, protest caravans and many more to condemn Duterte’s militarization of the pandemic response and the passing of the Anti-Terror Law. That summer, the movement launched a petition to oppose the Anti-Terror Law. This garnered thousands of signatures. Immediately after the Anti-Terror Law’s passing, the movement organized an online protest denouncing the Anti-Terror Law. It was attended by more than 500 individuals. Later that year, the movement joined Kabataan Alliance, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP-US) to launch a nationwide legislative advocacy campaign to end U.S. support for the Duterte regime through the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA). The PHRA was introduced in congress in September by Pennsylvania Representative Susan Wild and has since garnered widespread grassroots and institutional support. Malaya Movement’s opposition to the Anti-Terror Law and the campaign for the Philippine Human Rights Act led to the rapid increase of membership and the formation of several more chapters across the United States.
In 2021, the movement launched several campaigns to further contribute to the fight against the Duterte regime. We launched the Palayain: Free All Political Prisoners Campaign as well as the Trolls and Tyrants: Anti-Disinformation Campaign in recognition of the growing number of political prisoners under the Duterte regime as well as the worsening use of disinformation in the Philippines. Chapters in Australia were formed.
2021 was a year of solidifying our movement and preparing for the long haul. The first National Assembly of the Malaya Movement USA was convened on August 21 with the theme: “Strengthen the Movement to Defeat the Fascist Duterte Regime! Fight For a Democratic, Just, And Sovereign Philippines!” The National Assembly was attended by more than a hundred participants, from 24 chapters and 5 affiliate organizations. 37 delegates, representing more than a thousand members and affiliates from 54 cities across the United States. At the National Assembly, the first election was held and the National Executive Committee was established with Yves Nibungco of New Jersey as the National Chairperson, Tabitha Ponciano of Oregon as the National Vice Chairperson, and Julie Jamora of New York as the National Secretary General. The national assembly ratified the Malaya Movement USA’s constitution and approved its General Program of Action. The year was capped by the tsinelas display in Washington, D.C. with 3,000 tsinelas were put on display to call on the U.S. congress to urgently act on the Philippine Human Rights Act.
In 2022, the movement resolved to engage in electoral work as a concrete means to end the Duterte regime and prevent the return of the Marcoses. The movement released the Justice and Accountability Agenda and, on this basis, endorsed the opposition candidates Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan for president and vice president, together with other progressives from the Makabayan Bloc. In preparation for the Philippine elections, the Malaya Movement held educational webinars, voter outreach and organized electoral rallies and caravans. The Malaya Movement USA helped convene the All-US Coordination Meetings which sought to bring together all organizations campaigning for defeat Marcos and Duterte during the elections.
Immediately after the general elections and after Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte was declared as the winner, Malaya Movement chapters helped organize vigils and protests. Malaya Movement USA called for the rejection of the Marcos-Duterte regime and has since organized efforts to combat historical revisionism and continue the resistance. This culminated in the protest actions against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in New York City in time for the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law.
In November, the Malaya Movement USA held a special assembly to adjust to the new situation in the Philippines under the Marcos-Duterte regime. The special assembly elected Joemae Santos into the National Executive Committee as the National Treasurer. It also analyzed the factors that led to the return of the Marcoses, assessed the movement’s accomplishments and challenges and discussed the movement’s plans. The assembly noted a 30% increase of membership as a result of the movement’s electoral work. With this, the special assembly approved the movement’s new General Program of Action.
In its five years of existence, the Malaya Movement USA has grown into a significant political force for human rights, democracy and sovereignty in the Philippines.
The Movement’s Impact
From the Malaya Movement’s humble beginnings, it started as a network of individuals and organizations. It has grown into a movement with 20 chapters in 11 states, and 5 affiliate organizations with more than a thousand members. It has also expanded with chapters across Canada and Australia. We recognize that there are tens of thousands more that we can reach and bring into the movement. It is necessary for us to bring them into the movement in order for us to not only defeat the Marcos-Duterte regime but to build a free, just and democratic Philippines.
Malaya movement has consistently broadened the fight against tyranny by bringing together various organizations and individuals alike through collaborative initiatives. Malaya movement has engaged more than a hundred organizations, both Filipino and non-Filipino. We have been able to work with educators, students, artists, workers, and many others who represent the Filipino people. Our solidarity work has also been a key aspect of our organizing as we link with other movements seeking to fight fascism. We need to further deepen our alliances and coalitions and strengthen the anti-fascist movement.
The movement has engaged tens of thousands of people through its campaigns and public information. We have more than 8,000 people in our mailing list and more than 17,000 followers on our various social media platforms. We are currently developing our publication to further bring our message out to more people.
The legislative advocacy regarding the Philippine Human Rights Act has resulted in a number of successes. We have gained the sponsorship of 40 legislators, and close to 300 endorsing organizations and institutions, countless city and campus resolutions have been passed in support of the PHRA in various cities like Jersey City and San Francisco. Our legislative work has highlighted the integral role the U.S. government and its policies plays in the human rights crisis in the Philippines through its training, weapons sales and military and law enforcement aid. While the legislation has not passed, this campaign has brought the Philippines issue into the broader public consciousness of the American people and policy makers. We need to continue and further leverage our position here in the United States using various instruments available to us to complement the struggle in the Philippines.
We have raised awareness on the disinformation happening in the Philippines. We have conducted presentations on disinformation. We also have joined the Movement Against Disinformation and continue to amplify their message and campaigns here. We are currently working on further developing our campaign to ensure that fake news and disinformation machines of the Marcos-Duterte regime, like the Sonshine Media News International (SMNI) and the National Task-Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) are permanently deplatformed.
We have raised awareness and support for the political prisoners in the Philippines. We have regularly released a newsletter that highlights cases of various political prisoners and has reached more than 2000 people regularly. Last year, we raised more than $5000 to support the basic needs of political prisoners in partnership with Kapatid, a network of families and friends of political prisoners.
With the current political landscape, we know we have a long road ahead and a lot of work to do. Just like the EDSA people power uprising, it did not fall from the sky, it was not a miracle, nor did it happen overnight. It was a product of decades of arduous and persistent educating, agitating, organizing and mobilizing the people that culminated in the several days that overthrew Marcos’ rule. With this, we further commit our time, energy and skills towards the attainment of a free, just and democratic Philippines.
The struggle continues! Tuloy ang laban!
