No to martial law

The ICHRP Southern California Network stands in solidarity with the Filipino people in expressing our deep concern on the news of another extension of martial law in the entire island of Mindanao until December 31, 2018.

Our members visited Mindanao in August 2017, meeting with Indigenous Lumad schools, communities and human rights defenders to offer an act of solidarity, including learning firsthand about their struggles. Hearing how their schools and communities have been attacked and militarized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) since the declaration of martial law and how President Duterte threatened to bomb their schools alarmed our delegates, who witnessed the devastating consequences of martial law to communities on the ground.

The Duterte Regime’s disregard for human rights is manifested in not only extrajudicial killings, but also in the rising number of human rights violations, illegal arrests, and killings of activists, church people, Lumad, and peasants under martial law. As these incidents increase not just in Mindanao but throughout the country, the so-called crimes committed by those killed remain in caring for the poor by advocating for a just and lasting peace for all Filipino people.

More than 13,000 lives have been taken in the drug war without due process; 400,000 forced to flee their homes under ongoing martial law in Mindanao; and over 100 activists killed since Duterte became president. The loss of their lives as well as the irreparable harm to their families are foreshadow Duterte’s brutal fascism and dictatorship, all with the support of $47.5 million US tax dollars, which is set to rise drastically to $111 million US tax dollars in 2018. We take note that the killings and human rights abuses visibly spiked following US President Trump’s meeting with Duterte where he expressed his support for Duterte’s wars.

Duterte has been dismissive of critics who disagree with him, even publicly ridiculing them with contempt. He has shown disdain towards the Peace Talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). He leaves the Filipino people with few avenues to raise their concerns or their interests without being met with harassment and intimidation.  These actions make it clear to us that the US and Duterte regime are not interested in peace, but are more interested in sowing seeds of destruction and tyranny.

As such, we proudly and boldly accept our duty to act in solidarity, as people in the US, to resist the rising fascism repressing the Filipino people, and to challenge the US military aid and support for Duterte’s fascism and extension of the dictatorial martial law. For every spike in human rights violations, so must we strengthen our solidarity with the Filipino people and our efforts throughout Southern California to STOP the Killings, and END all forms of fascist attacks against the Filipino people!

International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines

Southern California Network