This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 23, July 17-23, 2005
Overseas
Filipinos Press for Gloria’s Ouster
An increasing number of
Filipinos in Canada, the United States, Hong Kong and Europe want President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign now. Their demand came up in protest rallies
held in major cities abroad last week.
By
Bulatlat An increasing number of
Filipinos in Canada, the United States, Hong Kong and Europe want President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign now. Their demand came up in protest rallies
held in major cities abroad coinciding with the 50,000-strong rally held July 13
in Ayala, Makati City in the Philippines led by militant organizations together
with anti-Arroyo traditional opposition parties. Reports from Vancouver,
Toronto and Montreal with big populations of Filipino-Canadians showed most of
them are demanding the ouster of Macapagal-Arroyo. Cecilia Diocson, national
chair of the National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada (NAPWC), said
Filipinos from all walks of life, including the middle class, are disgusted over
Macapagal-Arroyo’s “stubborn refusal to step down despite strong evidence that
she cheated in last year’s presidential elections.” In Vancouver last week,
hundreds of Filipinos rallied outside the Hilton Hotel where a $50-a-plate
farewell dinner was held for Philippine Consul General Zenaida Rabago. The
rallyers called for the president’s ouster. Many protesters said
Macapagal-Arroyo’s ouster is justified and that it is merely a matter of time
before she is removed. With news of protests in
the Philippines reaching Canada, Filipinos across the country are trying to make
sense of the current political crisis back home. Many are staying up late to
monitor TV news and surfing the websites of Philippine news outlets, it was
learned. Other Filipino workers are
discussing the issue with their families and other Filipinos in restaurants,
churches, buses and homes, reports also said. Fourth
largest Canada is home to some
500,000 Filipinos spread out across all major cities in Canada. Filipinos are
the fourth largest minority group in Canada. In Vancouver, Toronto and
Montreal discussions with domestic workers, service workers and factory workers
revealed Filipinos are more than ready to demand Arroyo’s ouster, it was
reported. "Kailangan talaga
tanggalin ‘yan" (She really needs to be removed.), said one domestic worker
in Toronto. "Abusado siya at nagdaya ng eleksyon" she added. (She’s
abusive and cheated in the election.) "Oo naman dapat lang
magresign si Arroyo" (Of course, Arroyo should resign), said Louie a
23-year-old convenience store worker over his dinner in a Vancouver Filipino
restaurant. One of the petitions
circulating in Vancouver read Macapagal-Arroyo has “lost legal and moral basis
to hold (her) seat as president.” But the legitimacy of her
presidency has been questioned even before the controversial tapes came out, the
petition read further, citing increased poverty, Arroyo’s increased dependence
on foreign remittances and exploitation of migrant workers through the Labor
Export Policy, massive corruption and fascism as reasons for igniting the
Filipino people’s anger. United
States In the United States,
hundreds of Filipinos launched coordinated protest actions in New York, Seattle,
Los Angeles and San Francisco calling for Macapagal-Arroyo’s ouster, a report
from the U.S. Alliance for GMA’s Resignation (Outrage) said. The actions were
held during the International Day of Action highlighted by the Makati rally in
the Philippines. In the Filipino commercial
district of Woodside, Queens, New York community organizations Philippine Forum,
Anakbayan, the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP)
together with big groups of teachers, lawyers, students and domestic workers
streamed out into the streets to condemn Macapagal-Arroyo. Dr. Robyn Rodriguez, an
immigration scholar from Rutgers University and spokesperson for the New York
Coalition for Gloria’s Ouster (NYC 4 GLO), said “This day is significant because
right now Filipinos all over the world are simultaneously coming together in
mass mobilizations…to say that even though we are overseas, we have not
forgotten our homeland, and we want this fake and illegitimate president to step
down as much as our compatriots in the Philippines. Humorous ringtones
featuring the now-infamous “Hello Garci” wiretapped recordings blasted through
loudspeakers along 69th and Roosevelt Avenue, while a giant cellphone titled “Cinungaling”
(a play on the “But this goes beyond the
jueteng (an illegal numbers game) and elections scandal,” said Berna
Ellorin of BAYANusa, also a convenor of the New York alliance. “The people
placed their trust in Arroyo after ousting a corrupt Estrada regime back in
2001. But instead of taking us forward, Gloria has taken us 100 steps backward.
She has embraced Bush’s war and opened our soil to U.S. military training. The
Philippines is the fourth largest recipient of U.S. military aid. She has driven
our country to an intense fiscal crisis by rampant corruption, and she takes
home the prize for the highest record in human rights violations under her
regime than any other in recent history.” In Hong Kong, a group of
Filipinos picketing the Philippine Consulate tagged Macapagal-Arroyo as “Brand X
president.” Dolores T. Balladeres, chair of United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil
HK), said “Brand X” in popular Philippine advertisements are products that are
fake, substandard and should never be trusted. Balladeres said the
blown-up photos of the president with a big X written over her face held by the
protesters symbolized the people’s overwhelming demand for Macapagal-Arroyo to
step down. Overseas Filipino workers
in Hong Kong are gearing up for a wave of protests in the coming weeks until the
president is ousted, the Unifil chair also said. On July 10, more than 30
Filipino migrant groups formed the Overseas Filipinos, Families and Advocates:
United and Rise to Oust Gloria (Outrage). “Outrage will gather
thousands of Filipino migrants in a protest program on July 24 – the day before
Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA). If she’s still there,”
Balladares said. The Unifil chair also
reiterated the overseas Filipino workers’ support to the formation of a
transitional governing council to replace the current administration. She said
that former President Fidel V. Ramos’ formula of charter change is not
acceptable to the Filipino people. Bulatlat © 2004 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
‘Hello, Garci!’
ringtones make waves in New York rally
popular brand Cingular) and featuring Gloria’s face playfully read “Press # to
delete. Oust Gloria!”. Several onlookers and passersby, amused by the rally’s
colorful antics, joined the rallyers.
After exposes of illegal gambling and massive electoral fraud in last year’s
elections, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime has been slammed by a growing mass
movement calling for regime change.
Beyond jueteng and poll scandal
Ellorin also stressed that Gloria’s refusal to resign will inevitably lead to
her ouster.
Protesters expressed their support for the formation of a transitional national
council that would act as a consultative body and decide on the next steps for
the country after Macapagal-Arroyo. “Plainly and simply, [Vice President] Noli
de Castro is not an option!” Rodriguez said.
Hong Kong
Similar alliances for Macapagal-Arroyo’s ouster are being formed in Italy and
many other countries, she said.