As more than 200,000 people flooded the streets in the Philippines, Filipinos overseas took part in the widespread protest against corruption, impunity and fascism, including Malaya Movement USA chapters across the United States on the 53rd anniversary of Marcos Sr.’s declaration of Martial Law.

Malaya Movement USA joins millions of Filipinos in the Philippines and around the world who are disgusted by the rampant theft of billions of pesos of the people’s money by wealthy politicians and top contractors through fraudulent “ghost” flood control projects in the Philippines. The lavish lifestyles of corrupt public officials in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the heads of construction companies they’ve colluded with, are paid for in dozens to hundreds of Filipino lives each year. But the biggest and most guilty politician in the Philippines is the one pretending to lead this publicity crusade against corruption - President Bongbong Marcos Jr. (BBM) himself.

Malaya USA joins Filipinos across the U.S. and around the world in condemning today’s move of the Philippine Senate to “archive” the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. This Senate decision effectively kills the impeachment trial and ignores the Filipino people’s widespread demand to hold her accountable for charges of massive corruption of public funds and abuse of her office. Legal loopholes and procedural technicalities have been abused by the majority pro-Duterte Senate to protect the interests of the oligarchic political dynasties.

Instead of addressing the basic problems faced by Filipinos, Marcos has instead opted to sell-out the country and its resources for his own gains. Just last week, as the country was being ravaged by another typhoon, Marcos met with fascist US president Donald Trump to negotiate the worst possible deal – leaving with a 2% tariff rate increase from 17% to 19%. BBM and his team are so desperate to spin his embarrassing results, but there is no sugarcoating this – it was a bad deal and Marcos should be ashamed.

“The Supreme Court has betrayed the Filipino people. Filipinos want Sara to go on trial and be held accountable for corruption, for betrayal of public trust and yet our supposed political leaders, these majority Duterte appointed Supreme Court Justices, have exposed themselves as equally corrupt and disgraceful. Our democracy has been disregarded by the very people who are meant to protect it. Shame.”

Tabs, Malaya Movement USA

Malaya Movement USA condemns the targeted, “permanent ban” of longtime political prisoner and human rights advocate Fides Lim issued by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), preventing her from visiting Philippine prisons and jails.