MANILA – Filipino-American activists protested Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to the United States for the first trilateral U.S.-Japan-Philippines leaders’ summit on April 11.

The national day of action was led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan)-US. Protests were also held in the states of Portland, Seattle, Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The protests was also joined by the Malaya Movement, International League of People’s Struggles, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, Baltimore chapter among others.

The trilateral meeting was participated by US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the White House to discuss “peace and security” in the Indo-Pacific amid the tension in the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement, Brittany Tabora of Anakbayan-DC and Bayan-DMV said that it is critical for Filipinos around the world to know that Filipinos in the US do not stand for Marcos.

“We know that he is selling out the Philippines to the highest bidder. We know that he is continuing his father’s legacy of human rights violations and corruption,” Tabora pointed out in a statement.

For the progressive groups, the trilateral summit is among the series of efforts to leverage the Philippines’ strategic geo-political location for economic and military benefit as tensions rise between the U.S. and China, “at the expense of the sovereignty of the Philippines, the economic conditions of Filipino workers, and the health of the environment.”

“We’re here bringing the voices of the Filipino people to oppose the trilateral summit that’s happening around the US, Philippines and Japan. The US government talks about bringing economic growth, prosperity, clean energy and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. But we know this is a guise for more war and militarism in the Asia Pacific region and also an opportunity to perpetuate unequal economic and military agreements,” said Julie Jamora of Malaya Movement USA. (RTS)
Text by Anne Marxze Umil