Filipino American activists hold vigil, rally for Bonifacio Day outside consulate in San Francisco
San Francisco, CA – On November 30, over 120 Filipino American activists from a variety of organizations including Bayan USA, Kabataan Alliance, Anakbayan, the Malaya Movement and League of Filipino Students held a joint action in front of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.
The action was part of an international call for demonstrations in solidarity with Filipinos around the world, in the wake of a series of devastating floods in the Philippines killing dozens and displacing hundreds more. The top political and economic leaders of the country, including President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Junior and former Vice President Sara Duterte, have been involved in a vast corruption scandal in which over $10 billion worth of funds meant for flood control infrastructure were instead funneled into “ghost projects” and the pockets of corrupt politicians and businesspeople.
Demands calling for the resignation of President Marcos, and demands for Marcos, Sara Duterte and all other involved parties to face accountability have spread rapidly among Filipinos, in their homeland and in the diaspora alike. The establishment of a provisional people’s council to replace the current administration is also another growing demand.
The San Francisco protest echoed many of the slogans that protesters back in the Philippines have taken up, including “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot! Magnanakaw, mga pahirap, Tanggalin sa, kanilang pwesto!” meaning “Lock up the corrupt! Thieves and oppressors! Remove them from their posts!” as well as “Hindi, hindi! Magpapagapi! Ganyang kami, mga Pilipino!” meaning, “No, no we won’t be defeated! That is how we are, us Filipinos!”
The speakers advanced demands, both from the homeland and diaspora, calling for the resignation and prosecution of all corrupt officials, as well as for the freeing of Filipino migrants in detention centers, like Ya’akub Vijandre and Kuya Ricky. These demands being connected demonstrated the strength of international solidarity.
Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal gave introductory remarks, “Historically we know, November 30 is the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, the revolutionary leader from the working class who built up and organized the Katipunan, who defeated the Spanish colonialists and ended 300 years of Spanish rule.”
Racela continued, “We want to combine these fights against corruption back home. We want to combine these fights to protect Filipino migrant workers. We want to free those held captive in ICE detention centers. That is why the resounding call from even our community back home, is for Marcos and Duterte to resign.”
The program featured student organizers, faith leaders and workers sharing their experiences and how they connect with the ongoing struggle. Mike Casey, San Francisco Labor Council president stated, “The corruption in the White House is no different than the corruption in the Philippines. And in fact the oppression and the kidnapping of working people off our streets is no different than the oppression and red-tagging of workers in the Philippines.” Red-tagging refers to the practice of the Philippine government designating activists as communists in order to manufacture an excuse to arrest or kill them.
Casey continued, “Working people in the U.S. have a lot more in common with workers in the Philippines than we do with the elites here in the United States.”
Midway through the program, Anakbayan Daly City held a cultural performance, playing the song Awit ng Kalayaan, meaning Song of Freedom.
The vice-chairperson of Migrante San Francisco, Ate Leigh, told the crowd about the Marcos regime, “Korrupt ang ama, korrupt din ang anak,” meaning if the father is corrupt, so too is the child (referencing the prior corruption of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, father of current president Bong-Bong).
Leigh condemned the complicity of Sara Duterte and ended her speech with a call to action; “Burukrata kapitalismo, ibagsak! Ipaglaban ang gobyerno ng taong bayan, makibaka para sa bansang demokrasya!” meaning “Down with bureaucrat capitalism! Fight for a people’s government! Struggle for national democracy! Marcos, Duterte, resign!”
Bonifacio Day is a time for Filipino activists to hold protests that hearken to Andres Bonifacio’s revolutionary legacy. With broad discontent and anger rising among the Filipino community the world over, this year’s Bonifacio Day has witnessed large mobilizations against the rotten systems oppressing the Filipino people, both in their homeland and abroad.