New York, NY – Over 100 protesters gathered outside of the Philippine Consulate General in New York City on July 22 for the People’s State of the Nation Address. This action was part of a larger call to oust U.S.-backed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as he gave his State of the Nation address.

Despite heavy rain, the crowd was strong and enthusiastic. The protest was organized by Malaya Movement Northeast and included speeches from various Filipino and ally organizations. The speakers highlighted the different ways in which President Duterte has committed human rights abuses, and the need for organization against his government.

“From Duterte’s war on the urban poor, to massacres of indigenous people and farmers defending their right to land, our people have the courage to strike for better wages and working conditions, to occupy housing because it’s their basic right, to form bungkalans and assert their right to the land, to defend ancestral domains, to give you their lives in order to take up arms because they see no other choice in fighting for their freedom,” said Nikki Pagulayan from BAYAN USA Northeast.

The protest ended with a cultural performance and hoisting a banner that read, “Oust Duterte. Traitor, torturer, dictator!”

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Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Sept. 15 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Units of the New People’s Army (NPA) and all revolutionary forces in North and Central Luzon, as well as in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon, are geared to carry out rescue, relief and rehabilitation work for millions of people whose homes and livelihood were ravaged by strong winds and rains brought about by typhoon Ompong.

Over the next few days, local commands of the NPA can concentrate primarily in civic action amid the disaster even as they remain vigilant over the relentless offensive operations of the AFP.

The Party urges the Filipino people and international humanitarian agencies to unite and extend all possible help to address the welfare of the people. It urges all democratic sectors to establish Serve the People brigades to help collect and distribute relief assistance.

The broad masses of workers, peasants, minority people, fisherfolk and other basic sectors suffer the most from the damage wrought by typhoon Ompong. There is urgent need to mobilize them to carry out collective effort from the devastation and facilitate the entry and equitable distribution of all financial and material assistance.

As in the past, the people will be burdened by rampant corruption and inefficiencies in the Philippine reactionary government whose agencies always fail to squarely address their conditions.

Their clamor for wage increases, land distribution, cancellation of debt, agricultural subsidies, free irrigation and livelihood assistance and economic relief demand immediate attention and resolution.

#Philippines #Socialism #Manila #NewPeoplesArmy #Filipino