San Francisco, CA – On July 27, a crowd surrounded the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco for the People’s State of the Nation Address to protest against the reactionary Bongbong Marcos Jr. This comes after a torrent of nationwide protests which have rocked the Philippines in the wake of economic disasters and armed attacks on workers and farmers.

The action began with the song Kapangyarihan honoring the martyrs who died resisting Duterte’s “War on Drugs,” which extrajudicially killed 30,000 people.

Che Lodico from Kabataan Alliance stated, “This past June I participated in the Bayanihan disaster response trip and peasant integration to the Philippines. During our trip, we were able to integrate to the province of Camarines Sur, which is one of the richest provinces and yet the people there are the poorest in the Bicol Region.”

Lodico continued, “Just like most of the countryside in the Philippines, many of the farmers do not own the land they are tilling on, so they are hired by the landowners as farmworkers for only 250 to 500 pesos a day.” This follows a pattern in the Philippines as victims of poverty and man-made environmental disasters are met with neglect, red-tagging, and even extrajudicial killings by the Marcos regime for demanding welfare and repairs.

“Why is the NTF-ELCAC investing 24 million pesos in constructing dams, flood control dams, water systems, road constructions in indigenous people’s communities of Mindanao? Because they only want to attack the activist youth and peasants. They also take away their livelihoods by creating man-made disasters in the countryside!” continued Lodico.

Tree Aquino from Pilipino Laban sa Korapsyon (PILAK) stated, “Currently, Vice President Sara Duterte made history for being the first Filipino politician to be impeached twice, and this trial must continue without fail. She must be held accountable for the misuse of 600 million pesos in public funds, and we demand that she be transparent with her bank and tax records!”

Aquino also recalled attempts made by the organization to call on the Philippine Consulate and its consulate general, Arnel Talisayon, to protect Filipino migrants, only to find they had lopsided priorities.

“When we tried to schedule a meeting with Arnel Talisayon to discuss the pressing needs of Filipinos and undocumented migrants in our area, he left his scheduled meet-and-greet early and did not address any of our concerns,” Aquino lamented. “Meanwhile, he happily takes time to meet with big tech and sell out the Philippines to the highest bidder!”

Isa Patoto made a tearful plea on behalf of the Defend Negros Island Campaign to seek accountability and justice for the Toboso 19 and victims of extrajudicial killings. “On April 19 and 20, the 79th Infantry Battalion from the Armed Forces of the Philippines did a forced evacuation of 653 people from Toboso, Negros Occidental and did an illegal strafing on their community killing 19 including two beloved Filipino American activists, Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem.” This comes as one-third of all extrajudicial killings by the Marcos Regime are committed in the “Sugarbowl of the Philippines” alone.

“The massacre was a direct result of the organized peasants and farmers who resisted under the NTF-ELCAC and under the guise of counterinsurgency. And what did Bongbong Marcos do? He congratulated the 79th Infantry Battalion and treated them to a feast, and also had a bid for the UN Security Council!” said Patoto, highlighting the absurdity of the government’s response to the AFP’s violation of international human law.

The action ended with a performance of the song Lahat ng Sangkot, Dapat Managot, while protesters destroyed effigies of Trump and Bongbong Marcos Jr. as the crowd cheered on.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines

New York, NY – On July 29, over 150 people rallied outside of New York City’s Philippine consulate for the annual People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA), presenting the people’s assessment of the Marcos Jr. administration and demanding justice for Filipino immigrant workers and an end to political repression.

The rally took place with an added sense of urgency after community member Kuya Raul was taken by ICE two nights before the demonstration. Throughout the afternoon, protesters repeatedly chanted “Free Kuya Raul” and “Justice for Kuya Raul!” linking his detention to the broader struggle against anti-immigrant policy and state repression.

A member of the Malaya movement asked the crowd, “Do we think he’s [Marcos Jr] telling the truth?” Protesters answered with a loud “No!” Do we think he knows the realities of the Filipino people?” Once again, the crowd responded in unison. The exchange reflected the central message of the People’s State of the Nation Address: that the experiences of workers, immigrants and poor communities stand in sharp contrast to the image presented by the Marcos administration.

Speakers from Migrante, Gabriela and Anakbayan connected the conditions faced by Filipinos in the Philippines with the struggles of immigrant communities in the United States, emphasizing that poverty, displacement, labor exploitation and state repression cannot be separated from attacks on migrants abroad.

Speakers from Nodutdol and JUPI connected the struggles to their own national liberation struggles in Korea and Puerto Rico, emphasizing the need for international solidarity. Participants carried signs and banners calling for justice, chanted throughout the march, and called on passersby to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people.

Among the day’s most emotional speeches was that of Kuya Raul’s son, who stated, “He needs to be home,” he told the crowd. “He is the breadwinner of our family.”

After the rally, demonstrators marched towards the Ceberus building, bringing their demands beyond the Philippine Consulate. Chants of “Justice for Kuya Raul!” echoed alongside calls for justice for the Filipino people, drawing the attention of pedestrians and motorists while demonstrating the unity of the coalition assembled for this year’s PSONA.

As the march concluded, organizers reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the struggle for genuine democracy and justice for the Filipino people while calling for Kuya Raul’s release.

#NewYorkNY #NY #International #Philippines

Washington, D.C. – On July 27, around 100 people mobilized in front of the Philippines’ embassy to give their annual People’s State of the Nation Address (PSONA) and to expose the true relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines.

The march started from Stead Park as organizers were handing out fliers to passersby and constructing a large effigy of President Donald Trump, President Bong Bong Marcos Jr., and Ambassador of the Philippines to the U.S. Jose Manuel del Gallego Romualdez. The effigy stood tall and exemplified the relationship between the three individuals.

Trump stood front and center sporting devil horns, Marcos at one side held a large bag of pesos symbolizing the upwards of 80% of remittances that the Filipino government takes from migrant workers in the U.S., and Romualdez at the other side holding up a bloodied peace sign. The effigy was constructed by over 40 people and was placed at the head of the march to the Embassy of the Philippines.

Once the group reached the embassy, they took over the streets and began their program. Next to the effigy were three people satirically dressed up as Trump, Marcos Jr., and Romualdez, with Trump carrying leashes connected to the other two’s necks.

A member of Anakbayan DC spoke on a recent campaign stating, “Iris is a local youth activist who traveled to Los Angeles to attend the Kalayaan Summit, which successfully gathered the largest convening of Filipinos this country has ever seen. Despite being able to travel to LA, on the way back home, there were complications with TSA and getting a confirmed ID. Iris was not allowed by TSA to travel back home. Without a clear way home, Iris requested help from the LA consulate. She asked for help with notarization, access to Assistance to Nationals (ATN) funds, and also travel documents. However, the Filipino consulate of LA denied this request, saying they only give ATN funds to migrants in distress. But we know that this is one of the many falsehoods that the Filipino government uses to hoard funds that never make it to the Filipino masses.”

During the speech, an SUV broke through the marshal security line and sped through the protest, though no one was struck or hurt. The police and Secret Service were present; however, they did nothing.

A member from Bayan DMV spoke about their experience trying to give a letter to the embassy right before the mobilization, stating, “This letter detailed the conditions of hundreds of Filipino seafarers that are currently being targeted and detained by ICE and CBP. We were simply there to demand that the government provide assistance, and do you know what they did? They gave us the runaround. They locked the doors on us. They told us that we need to have an appointment, that we need to email, that we need to call, and these are things we’ve done time and time again. The consulate ignored us, rejected us, and they called us ‘insincere,’ but they have exposed themselves for not caring about our kababayan. They even barred one of our members from entering the consulate for five years; simply because we demand they do their jobs.” After the speech were calls from the crowd for Ambassador Romualdez to “do your job or step down!”

Rob Cheng, a member of About Face: Veterans Against the War told the crowd, “Did the U.S. military actions in Venezuela and the blockade of Cuba, did that make the people of Latin America safer? When the U.S. worked with Israel to launch their illegal war against the sovereign people of Iran, did that make the Middle East any safer?” The crowd responded “No!” in unison. Cheng continued, “So why do we kid ourselves thinking the U.S. having military bases in the Philippines, Japan and South Korea makes the people of Asia any safer?” He ended his speech with a rallying cry, “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!”

The program ended with the crowd fervently destroying the “three-headed beast” effigy of Trump, Marcos Jr. and Romualdez.

#WashingtonDC #DC #Philippines #PeoplesStruggles

An estimated 3,000 Aeta indigenous people from five barangays marched in Capas, Tarlac on July 14 to denounce the seizure of their ancestral land and the harassment they suffer from the Philippine Air Force (PAF). They also condemned the takeover of their ancestral land for the expansion of New Clark City under the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).

The Aeta masses marched from Barangay O’Donnell to a checkpoint entering Colonel Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB), a military reservation in Barangay Santa Juliana. National democratic groups in Central Luzon voiced support for them.

The PAF barred these communities from building and repairing homes. It suppressed their water and electricity supply and blocked the entry of aid and other services. This is tied to plans of building a Joint Training Complex for Filipino and American troops in the area.

The indigenous people said they were not asked for their free, prior and informed consent for this. Residents will be driven out of the 18,000-hectare military complex in the barangays of Santa Juliana, O’Donnell (Patling), and Santa Lucia.

Meanwhile, the BCDA continues constructing roads and destroying farms, ancestral land, and the environment for New Clark City. The Aeta residents expect the evictions to intensify further because the expansion includes a U.S. plan to build an economic security zone with an “artificial intelligence hub,” data centers, and other infrastructure under the Pax Silica initiative.

The US Embassy in the Philippines announced on July 14 the visit of US Ambassador Lee Lipton to the site of the projects in the economic security zone. That zone sits right next to the Joint Training Complex and is part of military and economic hubs such as the Subic Ammunition Factory and Agila Shipyard, Basa Airbase, Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation, and the APECO Defense Hub.

#International #Philippines #AngBayan

Washington, D.C. – Amid military displays celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, more than 120 workers, migrants, students and community members mounted opposition in the nation's capital.

Participants kicked off their activities with a banner drop on a Rhode Island Avenue overpass. Later they held a Peace Forum, then a protest on July 4 at the White House. Participants in the forum argued that the country's anniversary should instead be a moment to address ongoing impacts of militarism, political repression and economic exploitation.

“While we were shackled in detention, we learned the U.S. government is the real criminal, but that we also need to fight for justice not just for ourselves, but to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone again,” said Ana from Las Madres Unidas en la Lucha, a collective of migrant mothers. Group members were detained during a March 2026 ICE operation in Baltimore and were later transferred to detention in Tacoma, Washington.

David Black of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) said, “I spent 26 years in prison for a crime I didn't commit. What happened to me wasn't an isolated case, the sheriff who put me there harmed others too. This fight is bigger than my story. It's just beginning, and we're going to keep demanding justice for everyone who has been wronged.”

“Migrant workers are among the underclass in the countries they have migrated to because we are the scapegoats of economic crises, a source of cheap labor, and in times of crisis, we are abused by the government, as is the case today with Trump” said Jabi, a food service worker with Filipino Workers of Wheaton (FilWoW).

The Peace Forum brought together communities addressing issues such as ICE violence, police terror and wars of aggression that impact the people around the world. The gathering strengthened local fights to build a larger movement to address the root causes. Emerging from the Peace Forum, community members committed to advance campaigns against violence due to state agencies and expansion of weapons production.

Participants reconvened on the morning of July 4 for a protest at the White House, targeting Trump, who is responsible for attacks on the people domestically and abroad.

“We see this contradiction intensifying today, with Trump staging a military occupation right here in the belly of the beast, Washington, D.C., where Black, brown, and working-class neighbors are being kidnapped and terrorized by federal agents with the help of MPD. The National Guard occupation alone costs millions of dollars that could be used for healthcare, housing and human needs,” said Juliet Thomas from Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO-DC).

“Today, July 4, also marks 80 years of semi-colonial oppression of the Philippines by America,” says Marcel Castro from Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN DMV). He condemned the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative for increasing land theft and exploitation of Filipino workers, as the U.S. aims to control the semiconductor supply chain. “1600 hectares of land were offered on a silver platter to the U.S., which will displace peasant and indigenous people. Large-scale mining operations will destroy water sources and agricultural land. The Filipino people are not pawns and sacrifices for U.S.-led war!” Marcel concluded.

“Whether it's detention centers, war profiteers, or the daily oppression we face under this system, this week of action shows that the most exploited and oppressed are organizing to fight back. Our fight is to unite workers, migrants, and all people struggling for sovereignty and liberation!” said Liz Park, secretary general of the International League of Peoples' Struggle – US (ILPS-US).

#WashingtonDC #DC #July4th #PeoplesStruggles #AntiWarMovement #ILPS #Philippines

“While Marcos Jr. seeks a position in the world’s highest intergovernmental body tasked with maintaining international peace and security, entire communities across the Philippine countryside continue to endure the consequences of his counterrevolutionary war,” added the NDFP. 

The NDFP cited how since assuming office in 2022, at least 135 cases of extrajudicial killings, 48,247 documented victims of forced evacuations, 57,156 victims of relentless aerial bombing campaigns and 70,028 victims of indiscriminate firing have been documented under Marcos Jr.'s term.

The NDFP also hit Marcos Jr. for the continuing impasse of the GRP-NDFP peace talks. According to the group, “instead of advancing structural solutions to longstanding social, economic, and political grievances, the Marcos Jr. administration has continued to insist on a military-centered approach, persistently disregarding the need to address the root causes of the armed conflict.”

In addition, the NDFP also lambasted the Marcos administration for its “wholesale surrender of Philippine sovereignty” through the expansion of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites and allowing 4000 acres of land to be used by the U.S. under the Pax Silica initiative. 

According to the NDFP, Marcos Jr. has no place in the UN Security Council for these reasons alone. 

“The UN Security Council is widely recognized as a compromised body, where the veto power of a handful of imperialist states routinely paralyzes any form of meaningful action to protect peace. However, even within this deeply discredited framework, Marcos Jr.’s bid for a non-permanent seat sends a profoundly wrong political signal. It suggests that regimes actively complicit in militarization of communities and repression can be elevated as ‘credible’ arbiters of international peace and security,” the NDFP concluded.

#International #Philippines #NDFP #Marcos

San Francisco, CA – Over 500 people gathered in the Bay Area, May 30 and 31, for the U.S. chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) Third National Assembly and Political Conference. The theme of the action-packed weekend was “Advance the Peoples’ Struggle.”

On the first day, the general assembly was marked by momentous debate, resolutions, and the election of the new steering committee. They will lead the league for the next three years. The first day set the tone for the weekend: unity, militancy and dedication to the fight.

The evening was closed with a Peace Forum organized by ILPS, Resist US-Led War Movement, and the United National Antiwar Coalition. Speakers include Lala from Honor the Earth, Carlos Sirah from Black Alliance for Peace, Rhonda Ramiro from Resist US-Led War Movement, Laulani Teale from Ho’opae Pono Peace Project, Nieves Delgado from BAYAN USA, Laith Adel from Palestinian Youth Movement, and Meredith Aby from the Anti-War Action Network.

On the second day, allies and organizations gathered to discuss and share political ideas, struggles and victories. There were two keynote speakers: ILPS Secretary General Azra Sayeed, and FRSO Political Secretary Mick Kelly.

Kelly told the crowd, “Taken as a whole, the objective conditions provide extremely favorable conditions for revolutionaries, progressives and anti-imperialists to greatly expand our mass base and organizational capacity.”

The keynote addresses were followed by three plenaries: “Fight back against fascism! On peoples resistance against state attacks,” “All workers united! On the fight to end exploitation and plunder!” and “Peoples’ resistance for peoples peace! On ending imperialist wars and liberating our homelands.”

The afternoon welcomed workshops from all different areas of the movement, and attendees wrapped up the day with a lively solidarity night.

The entire weekend, attendees and organizers honored the Negros 19. These were 19 organizers, revolutionaries, peasants and others who were killed in the Philippines by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in April.

On Monday, June 1, forces gathered at 8 a.m. outside the Philippines Consulate in San Francisco to demand justice for the Negros 19. Speakers called the crowd to remember Lyle Priojles, Kai Sorem, and the others massacred in April. The organizers vowed to continue demanding justice for the Negros 19 until the Filippino government paid for its crimes.

This incredible weekend marks a momentous time for ILPS, and their future is bright!

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #AntiWarMovement #Philippines #ILPS

“It is farcical for the AFP to claim hundreds of ‘neutralizations’ after Marcos himself declared victory over the NPA last year,” said CPP Chief Information Officer Marco Valbuena. The military’s claims that 548 surrendered, that 49 were killed, 28 arrested, 25 NPA encampments captured, in fact, “all point to the fact that the NPA remains widespread and active.”

“If the NPA were as decimated as they claimed last year, where did all these hundreds of fighters and supporters spring from?” asked Valbuena, adding that these numbers are all made up as part of the counterinsurgency corruption scheme.

“How much do AFP generals and officers pocket for every ‘rebel’ they claim to have ‘neutralized’?” asked Valbuena. He said that these figures are shielded from independent verification and scrutiny. “It’s all just a scheme for corruption. The bigger the number, the bigger kickbacks for AFP leadership,” he said.

The CPP reiterated its long-standing criticism of the AFP’s “surrender” program (E-CLIP), noting that the military routinely rounds up civilian farmers and residents of rural communities, and forcing them to pose as “former NPA.” This practice, Valbuena noted, constitutes a gross violation of civil rights and of protection under international humanitarian law.

While acknowledging the loss of several red fighters in recent months, calling them the “best sons and daughters of the people,” Valbuena clarified that the actual number of martyrs is significantly lower than the 49 “killed in action” reported by the AFP.

“A number of these are civilians and non-combatants who were summarily executed by AFP soldiers, but portrayed as fighters who died in battle,” said Valbuena. “The AFP has a bloody record of murdering civilians, captured and wounded red fighters instead of treating them as prisoners of war. These are grave war crimes,” Valbuena said.

He cited the recent killing of 19 people in the “Toboso Massacre” in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, last April 19, which included at least nine unarmed individuals. Valbuena suspects that the AFP’s claims of 49 killed include the civilians and non-combatants it killed in Toboso.

The party concluded that as long as the fundamental roots of the armed conflict – landlessness, poverty and foreign subordination – remain unaddressed, no amount of manufactured AFP statistics can declare victory over the people’s resistance.

#International #Philippines #CPP

The entire Party and all revolutionary forces nationwide salute the heroism of the 10 fallen Red commanders who fought the fascist attackers in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19. The people mourn the deaths of their beloved children who selflessly gave their entire lives to advance the interests of the oppressed masses in Negros and the entire people’s struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.

They also grieve the death of nine other unarmed individuals, including two children, who were mercilessly killed by the unhinged soldiers of the 79th IB. They include youths from the cities and other countries who went to Toboso to support the peasant and farm worker masses in their struggles to defend their right to land and livelihood.

In solidarity with the loved ones of those killed in Toboso, the people strongly clamor for justice. The memory of the lives of the nation’s best and finest children is forever etched in the consciousness of entire nation.

The broad masses of Negros demonstrated how they love and cherish their fallen Red commanders when hundreds of fellow villagers joined the funeral, defying fascist soldiers’ intimidation. Such a display of affection for the NPA further strengthens the Red commanders’ determination to continue their sacrifices in wholeheartedly serving the broad masses of the people.

The NPA suffered a heavy setback in Toboso. However, this is temporary and one which the masses and the people’s army will overcome by drawing bitter lessons. In memory of the martyrs who fell in Toboso, the NPA’s determination grows even stronger to ceaselessly strive along the shining yet arduous and winding path of revolutionary armed struggle. The NPA is fully resolved to take action to achieve justice for the victims of the Toboso massacre and for the thousands of other victims of the AFP’s fascist suppression in Negros and other parts of the country. From the land nourished by the Toboso martyrs’ blood will spring even more fighters who will rise and take up arms in various guerrilla zones and fronts throughout the country.

Although a dark chapter, the Toboso massacre sheds light on worsening conditions, the ongoing feudal oppression, the state’s fascist violence, and the extreme suffering of the peasant and farm worker masses in Negros, which impel them to rise and wage armed resistance. It further highlights the reasons why the masses must advance the armed revolution to defend against the oppressive ruling classes and their fascist attack dogs.

It further inflames the desire of even more youth, especially rural youth who directly suffer feudal oppression and fascist violence, to join the people’s army and contribute to the people’s struggle for national and social liberation. It also calls on urban intellectual youth to go to the countryside to learn from the masses and join in advancing the people’s war.

The NPA is steadily regaining strength throughout the country. It continues to expand and multiply the number guerrilla zones and areas to carry out mass work and launch tactical offensives. Wherever it expands in the countryside, the Red commanders are warmly welcomed and tightly embraced by the masses who are deeply desirous to defend their interests and rights. They know the NPA is their weapon against their class oppressors and exploiters. They eagerly join the people’s war as village self-defense forces, militias, or soldiers of the people’s army.

Class contradictions in the countryside are extremely sharp. Landlords employ worsening forms of taking away the resources created by peasants. There are widespread cases of land grabbing and eviction of peasants, as well as dispossession of fisherfolk’s fishing grounds. Corporations in mining or plantations of big foreign capitalists and comprador bourgeoisie relentlessly plunder and destroy the environment. The military imposes martial law to crush wherever the masses resist oppression.

For the oppressed masses, armed struggle is just and necessary. They can defend their lives and livelihoods only by arming themselves and fighting.

Revolutionary armed struggle is the primary form of struggle in advancing the protracted people’s war to end the oppressive and exploitative ruling system. Armed struggle advances alongside the various forms of people’s resistance, open and secret, legal and illegal, urban and rural. The people’s war is a peasant war since it mainly focuses on implementing the revolutionary program for land reform.

The people’s war is also a patriotic war aimed at opposing and overthrowing the neocolonial state and the mercenary AFP. It must advance even more now amid the US imperialists’ war preparations and the resultant intense crisis in the Philippines. In collusion with the Marcos puppet regime, the US and its allied imperialist powers’ military forces is turning the entire country into a springboard for imperialist war. They are now paving the way for American monopoly capitalists to take over exclusive control of the country’s land and minerals.

It is become ever clearer to the Filipino people that there is no other path towards salvation from imperialist domination and plunder other than the path of revolutionary armed struggle.

Let us set ablaze the path of the people’s war. Let us amplify the call for young workers, peasants, and intellectuals from the cities, and even overseas, to join the New People’s Army. Let us echo our call for the people to take part in carving the country’s a new history towards a future of freedom and prosperity.

#International #Philippines #CPP #NPA #AngBayan #TobosoMassacre #Negros19

San José, CA – On April 29, the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in SJSU held a vigil in front of the Victory Statue to honor the lives of the Toboso 19. The Toboso 19 were murdered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on April 23 in Barangays Salamanca, Toboso, and Negros Occidental. A total of 653 residents and 168 households were displaced from Barangays Salamanca and San Jose.

At the vigil, paper roses and candles were set up before the portraits in a beautiful display of solidarity with the martyrs. In a statement released before the vigil, LFS called for “justice for Lyle Prijoles and the victims of the Toboso massacre,” “accountability from the AFP and corrupt Philippine government” and “an end to the U.S.-backed violations of human rights in the Philippines.”

The statement continued, “We are deeply inspired by Ka Lyle’s courage and his genuine love for the toiling Filipino masses. He chose to go to Negros not as an outsider, but to listen, to learn from the people, and to help bring their lived experiences and struggles to light despite knowing the dangers of their militarized situation.”

Throughout the event, LFS students and community members spoke about Lyle Prijoles, one of the martyrs, who was part of LFS at San Francisco State University and was referred to as an exemplary comrade who shared his lessons and experience to organizers and youth alike. A colleague spoke about his love for Star Wars and his passion for worldbuilding and applying its principles to working conditions in the Philippines.

Best friend and fellow organizer Ash Santosh spoke on how he saw Lyle Prijoles like a mentor figure who helped him with every single step of the way and proved himself to be a very humble person in his life. “He tried to make things better and was so instrumental in pushing for people to believe in a brighter future. May we live like Lyle.”

Justher Guttierez gave a personal account of Errol Wendel, who organized alongside them. “Errol was a really funny person who kept a fun atmosphere. He showed me that as an organizer you don’t have to change what kind of person you are,” she recalled. “He was always inquisitive and curious to know the conditions of people’s struggles and lived alongside them. The government is so afraid of activists that it will kill the people they claim to serve, and we will not stop organizing.”

Trizha Aquino from Pilipino Laban sa Korapsyon (PILAK) shared their own experiences in immersion work as they worked alongside Errol Wendel.

“One of the pieces of advice he gave to me is to study the land struggles in different parts of the Philippines so that when you meet a new contact you can ask them where they’re from and connect it to the three big problems,” Aquino said. “When visiting some locals, I would see him off to the side asking some nanays how they were doing and if anything was bothering them. I could tell he was deeply loved and trusted by the masses. It only goes to show how important it is to immerse yourself with the masses.”

Kalyani Blackwell of LFS also spoke about systemic discrimination against the Negrense people in the Philippines, saying, “The farmworkers of Negros produce over half of the country’s sugar and contributes about 90 million to the national GDP annually. Despite that, farmworkers work on a contract system called ‘pakyawan’, where they work 12 hours of backbreaking work a day with no paid overtime.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #StudentMovement #International #Philippines #Toboso19

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday April 22, a crowd of about 50 people gathered in an emergency rally in front of the Chicago Philippines Consulate. They were protesting both the mistreatment and deportation of Kuya J., a Filipino immigrant, and the annual joint military exercises taking place in the Philippines, known as the Balikatan exercises.

Since the escalation of attacks on immigrant communities across the country, Filipino immigrant rights organizations have fought for Filipinos who are held by ICE and at risk of deportation.

A member of Malaya read a letter from Kuya J.’s family stating, “It’s sad to say, if not for Tanggol Migrante, Filipinos going through distress and hardships would have been so hopeless. Because this should have been the responsibility of the Philippines government representatives, mainly the Philippines consulate and Philippines embassy to protect the rights of Filipinos overseas.”

Tanggol Migrante, a central organization to the struggle of Filipino immigrants organized the protest, has also been contacting the Philippines government, mainly through the Chicago consulate, to discuss Kuya J.’s case and coordinate the release of Filipino immigrants at the time they are held by ICE.

“They [the Filipino government and consulate] think time will pass after exposing their accounts of lies and greed, and their negligence of Kuya J. and other cases will be forgotten, but we remember,” said a member of Anakbayan at UIC, a Filipino youth and student activist organization.

The consulate was supposed to support Kuya J. and his family through the Assistance to National Funds that the government provides to Filipino nationals abroad. However, they were denied assistance, despite the embassy being contacted many times online, through phone and even in person. Instead, it was discovered that these funds were being embezzled for personal expenses, such as renovating consulate officials' homes.

“What does this day tell us about the priorities of the U.S. and Philippines government? It shows us that they would rather invest in military and war exercises and the displacement of the Filipino people than genuinely support what is needed for our livelihood and land stewardship,” stated a member of the Philippines-U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO).

While many Filipino nationals in the U.S. face deportation, the Philippines government helps bankroll the Balikatan exercises, the joint exercises with the U.S. and other countries.

The same morning the protest was held, news broke of the Philippines Armed Forces carrying out a strafing attack on Negros Island, killing student leader Alyssa Alano and people’s journalist RJ Ledesma, as well as 17 other innocent civilians.

For more updates on actions surrounding immigrant detentions in the Filipino community in the Chicago area follow @migrantechicago and @Tanggolmigrantechicago. For more updates and actions surrounding military suppression of the Filipino people in the Philippines follow @anakbayanchicago, @malayachicago, @puso.chicago, and @anakbayanatuic.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #International #Philippines

“In pursuit of its oft-lapsed deadline to end the armed revolution, the US-Marcos regime has escalated bombings, forced evacuations, torture, and extrajudicial killings targeting peasants, workers, indigenous peoples, youth activists and entire rural communities,” said the NDFP in a statement.

According to the NDFP, many civilians were killed in the Toboso massacre. The group also condemned the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its “utter disregard for international humanitarian law and human rights.”

“The killing of civilians and the conduct of military operations with complete disregard for the principles of distinction, proportionality, and humane treatment reveal the criminal character of the reactionary state’s counterinsurgency campaign,” the statement added.

The NDFP further reiterated that “even in the midst of war, there are rules that must be respected” pointing to how the AFP committed violations of the Geneva Conventions in the said massacre in Negros.

The NDFP also blasted the AFP for “dehumanizing the victims and denying them dignity in death.” According to the NDFP, “by reducing the slain to labels and repeating claims that the armed revolutionary movement has been defeated, the regime seeks to justify its war crimes and conceal the political roots of the armed conflict.”

“No matter how the AFP lies to slander the slain martyrs of Toboso, the masses know the truth. They know that those who offered their lives in the struggle to liberate the people from oppression and exploitation are among the best sons and daughters of the motherland,” the NDFP added.

#International #Philippines #AntiWarmovement #NDFP #AFP

The Anti-War Action Network strongly condemns the brutal massacre of 19 individuals by the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19th. We extend our deepest solidarity with the communities impacted by these killings and land displacements, including the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines – US for the tragic loss of a beloved organizer, Lyle Prijoles. 

The timing of this massacre – around the annual Balikatan “war games” – is no coincidence. Every year the U.S. and its imperialist proxies, including the Israeli Occupation Forces, descend on the Philippines to practice an invasion of China. During these drills, they unleash the weight of the U.S. military-industrial complex on the lands and waters of farmers, fishers, and Indigenous communities in the Philippines. These “war games” frequently coincide with increased state attacks on the people of the Philippines. 

During this brutal massacre, over 650 residents of surrounding communities were removed from their lands in an ongoing process of land seizures. This attack is a part of a larger pattern of state violence, including years of massacres and displacements, that allows for multinational mining and agriculture corporations to extract the rich natural resources of the Philippines to the detriment of the people. 

The Anti-War Action Network continues to stand alongside the Filipino people, in the Philippines and in diaspora, in the struggle for a just and lasting peace in the Philippines. Justice for the victims of the Toboso Massacre! Defend Negros!

#AntiWarMovement #AWAN #International #Philippines

79th IB narrative is a desperate piece of fiction

The Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the New People’s Army (AGC-NPA), alongside the revolutionary forces of Negros Island, offers its highest tribute to the martyrs of Barangay Salamanca, Toboso. Their names are now etched into the long history of the struggle for land and justice on this island. While the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) attempts to bury their identities under a mountain of black propaganda, the Negrosanon people will remember them as they were: patriots and revolutionaries who understood the plight of the marginalized and chose to defend the peasantry even at the cost of their lives.

The military’s account of the encounter is a study in calculated exaggeration. Of those who fell, only a small squad was composed of revolutionary fighters led by Roger “Ka Jhong” Fabillar. The rest were civilians documenting a peasant activity, standing alongside farmers who are consistently pushed to the margins by land-grabbing and systemic neglect. Among the casualties were local and foreign journalists and human rights advocates who only carried notebooks, cameras, and the grievances of the poor — tools far more threatening to the status quo than any rifle. Notably, the victims included Roel Sabillo, a local farmer from Toboso, who was working at his uncle’s business during the incident, and RJ Ledesma, a Bacolod-based journalist.

Amidst the narratives circulating through communities and social media, one can easily recognize the 79th IB’s script for what it is: a desperate piece of fiction. They were quick to parade a tally of 19 casualties, claiming each was an armed combatant. To bolster this claim, they presented 19 firearms allegedly recovered from the site. This appears mathematically convenient but logically bankrupt; it is a clumsy attempt to paint a picture of a proportionate firefight where none existed.

To believe the military’s account is to ignore their well-documented history of “planted evidence” and “fabricated encounters.” This has become the standard operating procedure to meet liquidation quotas and secure promotions. We must not forget the Sagay 9 massacre, where murdered farmers were paraded as “Red fighters,” or the Negros 14, where civilians were similarly touted by the AFP as armed rebels. In both instances, the military presented firearms with serial numbers already linked to previous operations, or weapons in such disrepair they could never have been fired.

What the military labels a “battlefield success” was, in reality, a cold-blooded assault on individuals whose only weapons were their convictions and an unwavering commitment to the rural poor.

The soil of Negros has been watered with the blood of the brave, and from that soil, the revolution will only grow stronger. The fascist state and its military instruments see only a body count, but the people see a reason to keep fighting.

#Philippines #International #NPA #Negros #Toboso

New York, NY – Filipino community organizations and their allies rallied outside of the Philippine Consulate in New York City, April 20, to call for an end to U.S. military involvement in the Philippines.

The protest marks the beginning of the month-long Balikatan joint military exercises between the United States, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand. The organizers included the New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP), Malaya Movement, and BAYAN. Speakers also included members of Anakbayan as well as Filipino residents whose families are still living in the country.

An unconscionable waste of needed fuel

In the midst of crisis-level fuel prices, criminalization of labor organizing and protest, and exorbitant military spending, these war preparations come at a steep price for the average Filipino family, and should be terminated immediately.

The United States and Israel’s war on Iran has spiked fuel prices across the globe and has had a devastating effect in the Philippines. The average price for one liter of fuel currently exceeds the daily minimum wage in the country, and many Filipinos are unable to pay. Filipino workers and parents are having to skip meals and make other serious sacrifices in order to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the Marcos-Duterte regime has stockpiled enough fuel for an entire month of military drills—fuel that is desperately needed by the Filipino people.

No support for immigrant workers

Community organizers denounced Marcos’ bid to join the United Nations Security Council, as well as the UN’s decision to use the Philippines’ migrant worker policies as a model for the rest of the world. Those policies have caused severe harm to the Filipino people and should not be emulated.

Speakers denounced the ways that the Marcos-Duterte regime has turned its back on immigrant workers, including by refusing to support Filipino immigrants kidnapped by ICE and detained for months without a trial. The Philippines supplies more than 20% of the world’s seafarers, including commercial shipping workers as well as cruise workers. Right now, many of those same Filipino workers are stranded on oil tankers in or near the Strait of Hormuz as a result of Trump’s illegal war. Those workers are not being paid but are unable to return home, while their government continues to support the United States and Israel’s war.

The expansion of U.S. military presence and the campaign to kick Cerberus out of the Philippines

NYCHRP members also announced a new campaign targeting Cerberus Capital Management (CCM), a Manhattan-based private equity firm that has unjustly acquired 300 hectares of land on a former U.S. military base in Subic Bay, in the Philippines. The U.S. Navy was expelled from Subic Bay in 1991 after massive community uprisings against human rights abuses and environmental destruction by the U.S. military. Now, CCM is leasing that same land to U.S. weapons and defense contractors, and plans were recently announced to build the world’s largest munitions factory on that same land in Subic Bay, which will be the first U.S. ammunition plan in Asia.

The presence of CCM in Subic Bay has additional devastating effects on the local working-class communities: peasant communities are subject to bombings and displacement, fisherfolk are not permitted to fish during military drills, including the Balikatan exercises, and women and children living near U.S. bases are frequent victims of sex trafficking and assault.

NYCHRP and BAYAN members who visited Subic Bay in November 2025 reported: “Fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on fishing near Subic Bay now face more and more problems with more coastal guards, maritime guards and militarization of the sea. The areas they are able to fish are now heavily restricted. There have been incidents of fishermen venturing out to get better catches and the Chinese Coast Guard is shooting water cannons at them. They can’t even pass close by to Cerberus’s complex because private security will point guns at them.”

This issue is especially pertinent for New Yorkers because the New York City Employees Retirement System and the New York State Teachers Retirement System have invested funds in Cerberus. To join NYCHRP’s campaign against Cerberus, email nychrp@protonmail.com.

#NewYorkNY #NY #NYC #Philippines #Bayan #International #NYCHRP #AntiWarMovement

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from BAYAN USA.

Filipinos overseas are heartbroken after witnessing the news of the 303rd Infantry Brigade led-attack on April 19 of 19 individuals and forcibly displaced more than 653 residents from 168 households in peasant communities in Toboso, Negros Occidental. Among the 19 killed, the families, friends and fellow organizers have confirmed Alyssa Alano and RJ Ledesma were amongst them.

Alyssa Alano League of Filipino Students Chairperson 2024-2025; University of the Philippines Diliman University Student Council 2025-2026

Alyssa's strong will and unwavering commitment to the oppressed is what many of her friends and fellow organizers have continued to share in their grieving. From the urban poor communities in the University of the Philippines to the peasant communities in Negros she was eager to serve our kababayan.

RJ Ledesma League of Filipino Students Bacolod Chairperson 2020; Kabataan Partylist’s 7th Nominee 2022; Altermidya Regional Coordinator, Negros Island

RJ's is a people's journalist. He exposed the realities of landlessness, and the effects of renewable energy projects – including solar farm expansion and windmill projects – on vulnerable farmer communities. He amplified the voices of marginalized communities through his writing to expose the green-washing projects that led to the genuine harm on the masses.

As BAYAN USA, we condemn Pres. Marcos’ NAP-UPD that led to this attack on Negros and the NTF-ELCAC for the narrative they are orchestrating through state-sponsored troll farms that seek to excuse their murder by posthumous terrorist tagging and vilification. These state-funded counterinsurgency programs that terrorize people who speak up and fight against state and corporate plunder are what led to their murder and why we – as overseas Filipinos – must continue to bring to light these fascist programs and demand an end to them.

On Earth Day, we recognize that the true defenders of people and planet are peoples journalists, land defenders, and human rights activists like Alyssa and RJ. We see through the lies and black propaganda of the bloodthirsty military and greedy bureaucrat capitalists who are the real terrorists. As overseas Filipinos, we must demand for justice and continue the fight that Alyssa and RJ dedicated their lives to.

DEFEND NEGROS!

UPHOLD INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW!

TUTULAN ANG MILITARISASYON SA KANAYUNAN!

#JusticeForAlyssaAlano#JusticeForRJLedesma

#International #Philippines #NDFP #Bayan

The Communist Party of the Philippines strongly condemns the US military for using civilian vessels and facilities to move and preposition its military vehicles and equipment in Cagayan de Oro, and the subsequent transfer of those vehicles from the city in northern Mindanao to Subic Bay in Zambales using commercial ro-ro ships.

It was reported that the US military brought Humvee military vehicles into the city during the war games conducted last March. Commercial marine vessels were then contracted by the US military to move these vehicles to Luzon to be used in Balikatan exercises scheduled to take place this month.

It is a slap on the face of the people of Cagayan de Oro that war matériel were transported to their city without their knowledge, even after various groups and local government officials expressed sentiments against the presence of US soldiers in their city, who were seen checking in at local hotels.

The transport of American war equipment in the country, and the use of commercial facilities, were done in outright contempt of Philippine sovereignty.

The US military’s use of civilian vehicles deliberately blurs the distinction between civilian and military, which turn civilians and civilian property into military target