We condemn unscrupulous politicians’ fresh attempts to open up the Philippine constitution through mass deception and capitalizing on the chronic suffering of the Filipino people, otherwise constituents they claim to serve.

Malaya Movement USA joins the international community, including the millions of Filipinos in the diaspora, in commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 2023. Since the declaration, the global human rights situation has only continued to deteriorate. This internationally recognized declaration provides a distinct opportunity for us to reflect on the human rights situation in the Philippines and all over the world and encourage our members and allies to action in defense of the very same.

Nobody should be imprisoned for their political beliefs and for defending human rights!

The human rights situation in the Philippines under the Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte Regime is dire and continues to worsen. Since assuming office, Marcos Jr. has unleashed state sanctioned violence and political repression against the Filipino people in order to suppress those who are critical of the regime due to their advocacy of genuine human rights, democracy, and sovereignty.

Several weeks ago, Congressmember Raoul Manuel led the charge to investigate Vice President Sara Duterte’s highly suspicious request for half a billion pesos in funds for “confidential” use. Soon after, he questioned President Marcos Jr.’s sham designation of the 2024 National Expenditure Budget for “emergency” passage to sidestep proper deliberation. Predictably, Marcos-Duterte ally Senator Bato Dela Rosa and former Philippine National Police chief, desperately launched a witch hunt against Manuel and unleashed the government bureaucracy to designate him a subversive.

We express cautious optimism for the potential resumption of Peace Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). As a movement founded with the express intent to advance genuine democracy and stop the rampant killings of Filipinos, whether under the government-sponsored “war on drugs” or repression of dissent through various fascist schemes like the NTF-ELCAC, we want to register our membership’s desire for the GRP to address the root problems of poverty, landlessness, and suffering that have led to armed resistance against repression and government reaction using detention, torture, and assassination.

Malaya Movement USA members register our disgust and horror after one of our members was sexually and physically assaulted by police officers of the San Francisco Police Department, during protests against Philippine President Bongbong Marcos’s visit and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which was gratuitously welcomed and accommodated by the City of San Francisco.