Malaya Movement USA condemns Marcos administration’s blacklisting of US-based activist Copeland Downs
On October 6, US-based activist Copeland Downs was denied entry into the Philippines on the false claim that he was placed on the blacklist in October 2022 for participating in a political rally as a foreigner. While that policy in and of itself is a damning measurement of democracy under the Philippine government, Downs did not in fact participate in any rally or march but rather participated in an international observers mission to investigate the conduct of the 2022 Presidential Elections. Which then begs the question, why target Downs for his activism to ensure clean and peaceful elections if Marcos Jr. is in fact the kinder and better alternative to the Dutertes and if he in fact won fair and square?
Even as Marcos Jr. tries to distance himself from and isolate his predecessor, his administration’s blacklisting of Downs is a clear example of the repression that persists under his term. Downs and dozens others interviewed Filipino voters and contributed to the damning report on election violence and fraud, led by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), that resulted in Marcos Jr. clinching the presidency. Downs is one of at least three progressives deported since Marcos Jr.’s rise to power and likely the first US citizen.
It is extremely concerning that the Philippine’s persistently poor information sphere and media coverage have allowed the questionable narrative that the Marcos Jr. presidency is “better” than Duterte. We should not be satisfied with the extrajudicial killings of at least 105 Filipinos, the enforced disappearance of James Jazmines and Felix Salaveria Jr., the abduction and coercion of Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro, and the 173 aerial bombings against defenseless civilians, all transpired under this president.
As Filipino-Americans, Downs’ blacklisting and deportation reminds us of Marcos Sr.’s order to murder labor U.S.-based activists Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes in the 1980s. We know that this is meant to silence and scare us away from holding corrupt and violent politicians in the Philippines accountable. But we are continuing our push to pass the Philippine Human Rights Act, pushing U.S. lawmakers to hold this regime accountable, and gathering other Filipino-Americans to grow a movement for genuine democracy in the Philippines.
