Protest against government corruption in Philippines

Washington, D.C. – On Sunday, November 30, over 100 activists and community members gathered in DC’s DuPont Circle to protest corruption in the Philippines and demand the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte.

“We mobilized our membership to further the global campaign against corruption in the Philippines government,” a member of Anakbayan DC said. “This was recently highlighted by the misuse of funds for flood control projects. 180 billion pesos are unaccounted for and our kababayan [fellow Filipinos] are the ones that suffer, not the bureaucratic capitalists that run the country.”

The mood among attendees was high despite rain and near-freezing temperatures. After a short rally in DuPont Circle, protesters took to the streets, chanting slogans like “Imperyalismo — Ibagsak!” (Down with imperialism) and “Burukrata Kapitalismo — Ibagsak!” (Down with bureaucrat capitalism) as they marched to the Philippine embassy.

“It’s important for people in the U.S., both Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike, to stand up against injustice in the Philippines considering the colonial relationship and hegemony that the United States has over the Philippines,” said Jom Dolor, co-coordinator of BAYAN DMV and deputy secretary general of MIGRANTE USA.

“You should also see the role that the U.S. plays in both destabilizing the governments and peoples’ movements, all around the world, including the Philippines,” he continued. “It’s also important to see how it profits, both from the wars it instigates and perpetuates in the Philippines and also from the materiel and weapons industry it promotes to counter supposed ‘Chinese influence’ in the region.”

Speaking about her recent trip to the Philippines, a member of Anakbayan Montgomery County said, “I’ve witnessed the effects of the corruption firsthand, charging through the floodwaters in España, visiting barangay [neighborhood or village] heads and seeing what the community members needed. And what we learned is that the youth were actually the first people to visit these barangays and actually investigate and see what people needed.”

Towards the end of the action, organizers brought out a paper mache effigy of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, a leading figure in the massive corruption scandals which have rocked the Philippines in recent weeks. The action ended with activists, carrying the flags of various Filino liberation organizations, surrounding the effigy of Marcos Jr. and beating it with their flagpoles while the crowd chanted “Si Marcosmismo – Babagsak!” (Marcos will fall).

The action was organized by BAYAN DMV. During the action, BAYAN and its allies reaffirmed that they would continue to fight against corruption in the Philippines, as well as the exploitation and oppression of Filipinos both at home and overseas.

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