Washington DC- A spirited bunch of protesters came out for a second day in a row to drawattention to the human rights crisis in the Philippines while 
President Arroyo and her junket attended a reception organized by the Philippine Embassy. The group was accompanied by a 10 foot tall puppet of GMA bearing her “dirty laundry” which included blood stained shirts, a paper bag signifying corruption, and an empty rice sack.
“We refuse to remain complicit while our tax dollars go to fund a military that has committed human rights violations under the command of President Arroyo. We refuse to remain silent while our hard earned taxes go to a government gaining a reputation as the most corrupt in Asia,” explained Joanna Quiambao of Katarungan: Center for Peace, Justice, and Human Rights in the Philippines. “We would rather see that money go to fully fund Filipino Veterans Equity or to make healthcare, housing, education, and childcare affordable for our community.”
As the protesters ended their program, they were approached by a few Filipino veterans who had just come out of the reception for the President. The veterans took pictures with the protesters, told the protestors about their long struggle for justice and taught them “equity” chants. When asked what they thought of the demonstration, they responded that they believed human rights is important.
According to Katrina Abarcar of Katarungan, the protest was just “the tip of the iceberg.”
“A few hours from now, Filipino-Americans and their supporters will be taking to the streets in LA. The President will be ruined by “RATs” or Rapid Action Teams on the next leg of her trip in New York City. We represent a growing national movement that’s engaged in street protests, community education, and even lobbying on the Hill,” said Katrina Abarcar. “Obviously, the Philippine government felt threatened enough by this movement to sink half a million dollars into a US public relations firm to “represent their interests on Capitol Hill.”
Last year, because of the American public’s pressure on their representatives in the government, human rights conditions were put on aportion of US military aid to the Philippines.
“Not even during the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship did this happen. It speaks volumes about President Arroyo’s human rights records,” ended Abarcar.
