Toronto, Canada.
NEVER AGAIN. NEVER FORGET.
Want to sign the Unity Statement? Fill out the form here: https://bit.ly/ML50UNITY
[English]
Filipinos abroad continue to reject the illegitimate administration of Marcos Jr. along with his constant historical denialism!
Fifty years ago on September 21st 1972, Ferdinand Marcos Sr signed Proclamation no. 1081, placing the Philippines and its people under military control, suspending civil rights and extending military law to civilians until 1986. This period came to be known as the Martial Law Era.
The 50th Anniversary of Martial Law is particularly significant as Marcos Sr’s son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr is now the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines. Marcos Jr’s journey to the Malacañang Palace is rife with controversy with countless issues of fraud during the election and years of historical revisionism about the Martial Law Era. This period was filled with human rights abuses; according to reports, that period saw roughly 70,000 Filipinos imprisoned; 34,000 tortured; 3,240 killed; and over a hundred billion pesos (about 21 billion CAD in 2022) stolen from the Filipino people by the Marcos regime and their cronies.
Liliosa Hilao, Lorena Barros, Archimedes Trajano, Emmanuel Lacaba, Ishmael Quimpo Jr, Luis “Boyet” Mijares, Soledad Salvador, Lean Alejandro, Edgar Jopson. These are the names of nine youth activists who fought and gave their lives to the struggle against fascism and for the liberation of the Filipino people. We continue to seek justice for their deaths and the thousands others who were disappeared, tortured, and killed by the state—the very thing that was meant to protect them. The people do not forget. In the face of rampant historical revisionism, remembering is resistance. Thus, as we mark the anniversary of Martial Law, on this very day 50 years ago, we remember their names and all that we lost and fought for in order to topple a tyrannical dictator.
For Filipinos overseas, it is crucial to remember that it was also during Marcos Sr’s dictatorship that the Labour Export Policy (LEP) was implemented. LEP is a ruthless system that turns human beings into mere products for export, shipping out more than 6,000 Filipinos every day, ripping apart families who were forced to choose between survival or separation from family. With the son Marcos Jr back in Malacañang, things will only worsen.
In this spirit, we are holding a Week of Action led by progressive groups of Filipino youth, workers, and women, starting with this unity statement. With the calls to Reject and Resist US-Marcos II and Never Again! Never Forget! We are committed to remembering and honouring the martyrs who fought, struggled, and gave their lives for the pursuit of justice and freedom for the Filipino people. Together, let us pick up their fallen torches and continue the call for a just and lasting peace in the Philippines.
Together, let us sign this unity statement to demonstrate that we will never again be subjected to Martial Law and that we will never forget the atrocities that happened during the Martial Law era!
[Tagalog]
Ang mga kababayang nasa abroad ay patuloy na itinatakwil ang administrasyong Marcos Jr at kanyang patuloy na pambabaluktot ng kasaysayan!
Singkwentang taon na ang nakalipas, noon Setyembre 21, 1972, idineklara ni Ferdinand Marcos Sr ang Proclamation 1081, na siyang nagpalubog ng buong Pilipinas sa Batas Militar na sinuspinde ang ating mga karapatang-pantao. Itong kapanahunan noong 1972 hanggang 1986 ang ating tinatawag na Martial Law Era.
Ang ika-limampung anibersaryo ng Martial Law ay napakalaga sa ating dahik ang anak ng diktador na si Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr Ngayon ay ang ika-17 Presidente ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Ang pag-upo ni Marcos Jr bilang pangulo, ay puno ng kontrobersya. Tulad ng isyung dayaan sa election, at taun-taong kampanya upang linlangin ang sambayanan tungkol sa katotohanan noong Martial Law Era. Ang katotohanan ay noong panahon ng Martial Law ay puno ng pang-aabuso sa karapantang-pantao tao; bilang sa report; 70, 000 Pilipino ay pinakulong, 34, 000 pinahirapan; 3,240 pinaslang; at mahigit 100 billyon peso (21 billyon CAD sa 2022) ninakaw ng rehimeng Marcos at kanyang mga katoto mula sa mamamayang Pilipino.
Liliosa Hilao, Lorena Barros, Archimedes Trajano, Emmanuel Lacaba, Ishmael Quimpo Jr, Luis “Boyet” Mijares, Soledad Salvador, Lean Alejandro, Edgar Jopson. Sila ay ilan lamang sa mga kabataang lumaban at nakibaka kontra pasismo at ibinuwis ang kanilang buhay para ipagtanggol ang kalayaan ng Pilipino. Hanggang ngayon, naghihintay pa rin tayong makamit Ang hustisya para sa kanilang kamatayan, at sa libo-libong pang “nawala,” pinahirapan, at pinaslang ng estado– ang estado na dapat ay pinoprotektahan sila. Sa panahon na kaliwa’t kanan hinaharap natin ang historical revisionism, ang pagalala ng ating kasaysayan ay ang ating pakikibaka. Samakatuwid, isalubong natin ang singkwentang anibersaryo ng Martial Law sa piling at matandaan ang mga pangalan ng mga nag buwis buhay at sa mga naglaban para maitumba ang malupit na diktador.
Para sa mga Pilipino nasa abroad, importante na maalala natin sa panahon ng dating diktador, si Marcos, ay ipinahayag ang Labour Export Policy (LEP). Ang LEP ay malupit na sistema na tinatrato ang mga tao bilang produkto para iexport. Kasalukuyan, araw araw mahigit 6,000 na Pilipino ay na puwersa na mamili mabuhay o humiwalay sa kanilang pamilya.
Para igalang natin ang mga biktima ng Martial Law, inorginisa ng mga Pilipinong kabataan, uring manggagawa, at kababaihan ang Week of Action. Inilalabas namin etong unity statement para itakwil ang US-Marcos II, para ipahayag ang tawag na Never Again! Never Forget! At igalang ang mga martyr na lumaban, nakibaka, at namatay para sa hustisya at kalayaan ng mga Pilipino. Sabay sabay tayo ipulot ang mga nalaglag nilang sulo at manawagan para sa makatarungan at walang-lubay na kapayapaan sa ating Pilipinas.
Sama-sama nating pirmahan ang pahayag ng pagkakaisa na ito upang ipakita na hindi na tayo muling sasailalim sa Batas Militar at hinding hindi natin malilimutan ang mga kalupitan na nangyari noong panahon ng Batas Militar!
#NeverAgain #NeverForget #ML50 #MarcosItakwil #TuloyAngLaban
Signatories:
Organizations:
Canada-Philippines Solidarity Organization
Anakbayan Toronto
Student Christian Movement of Canada
Anakbayan Scarborough
International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – Toront
Individuals:
Aidan Patterson
Amrit Randay
Audrey Shulman
Benjamin Zidar
Carolyn J. Tanuan
Charity Cruz
Czarina Campo
David G. Hallman
Elise Catibog
Elizabeth Pobre
Emerald Bandoles
Fatima Barron
Isabelle Espaldon
Jim keenan
Johannes Chan
Kain Nathaniel
Katrina M
Katrina Peralta
Lesley Valiente
Lia Tapel
Mateo Miranda
miguel mabilangan
Min Zhu
Olivia Blahuta
Olumide Babalola-Ojo
Ryan Murdock
Sherald Sanchez
Thérèse Perucho
Toast Wong
Wilma Delo
Zharmaine Ante
Anakbayan Toronto 