BBM fakes respect for human rights and democracy, blacklists Malaya USA leader
Malaya Movement vehemently denounces the blacklisting of Filipino-American peace and human rights advocate Julie Jamora, who was detained and denied entry upon arriving in the Philippines on November 17, 2025. Jamora joins a growing list of Filipinos abroad and individuals of other nationalities who are banned from entering the Philippines for political views opposing President Marcos Jr.
Jamora is the national Secretary General of the Malaya Movement USA, whose growing membership spans across 20 US cities. In 2022, Jamora participated in civil disobedience to protest the Marcos dynasty’s legacy of dictatorship and theft, during Marcos Jr's first visit to the United States as sitting president. Jamora, along with 5 others were violently manhandled by security at the Asia Society forum and were subsequently subjected to online harassment by Marcos supporters.
“President Bongbong Marcos likes to present himself as a reasonable, fair-minded alternative to the rabid Dutertes. But this is a lie, like his pathetic PR campaign to fool us Filipinos into thinking he’s some corruption-busting superhero. Freedom of speech, protest, and thought, which are the most basic rights that a real democracy guarantees, are taken away when convenient to a PBBM government.
Julie fights for a Philippines that wrests control from BBM and his ilk, into the hands of the majority of Filipino people. She fights for a truly democratic Philippines, including one in which its government won’t ban its people from coming home for wanting to make it a just, peaceful, and safe place to come home to, as what Julie will keep doing. Malaya Movement members look up to Julie for her relentlessness and courage.”
- Tabs Gabriel, Malaya Movement USA Chair
“The surveillance of diasporic Filipino activists is not a new phenomenon. In the 1950s, the Magsaysay government collaborated with the FBI to surveil renowned Filipino American writer, Carlos Bulosan, for organizing support for the Hukbalahap among the Filipino workers in Seattle's ILWU Local 37.
During martial law under Marcos Sr., ninety-four anti-martial law activists in the U.S., especially those in Katipunan ng mga Demokratikong Pilipino and Movement for a Free Philippines, were put on a "blacklist" because they were vocal critics of the Marcos regime.
Julie's case is the latest example of the Philippine state attempting to silent dissent from the diaspora.”
-Dr. Joy Sales, Malaya Movement USA
“I am heartbroken to be kept away from my home and family. All this administration did, through this act of political repression, is make me and hundreds others who've come to know me in my advocacy angrier and more committed to keep fighting for what’s right. Unfortunately for fascists and crooks in the PBBM government, their plan to silence me already backfired.”
-Julie Jamora, Malaya Movement USA Secretary General
A Disturbing Pattern
Malaya Movement has confirmed at least 5 cases of blacklisting since 2022, 3 of whom US citizens, for protected speech and dissent, despite BBM’s pronouncements on human rights and democracy. That’s on top of the unhinged arrests of 200+ people, including 97 children, for protesting insidious corruption in the Philippines.
Take Action
1. Join us for a press conference featuring Julie, Copeland and Gordon, all activists blacklisted by the Philippine government on December 9, 3pm PT / 6pm ET. Register: tinyurl.com/dec9blacklist
2. Participate in actions on December 10, International Human Rights Day
3. Post a statement of support and/or selfie with signs that say "Remove Julie from the blacklist! Activism is not a crime!"
4. Donate to Malaya Movement USA: malayamovement.com/donate
5. Become a member of Malaya USA: malayamovement.com/join
Who is Julie?
Julie Jamora is a Filipino American activist, human rights defender, and photographer based in Norfolk, VA. From VA to NYC, Julie has been a grassroots activist and community leader in the Filipino American community for over two decades, organizing and leading campaigns centering issues of immigrant and migrant rights, women’s rights and gender oppression, Filipino American history, human rights in the Philippines, and the impacts of U.S. militarism abroad.
Julie is the National Secretary General of the Malaya Movement USA, which is a broad movement of individuals and organizations that uphold, defend, and assert human rights, democracy and sovereignty in the Philippines. She is a member of the steering committee for the Philippine Human Rights Act Coalition, which works to end US support for human rights violations and war crimes under the Marcos and Duterte administrations.
As a member of the Tanggol Migrante Movement and the Hampton Roads Coalition for Filipino Seafarers, she has been organizing campaigns to defend the Filipino community from attacks on migrants and workers, from ICE detention and deportation to the targeting of Filipino seafarers, like the Carnival Sunshine cruise ship workers facing baseless deportations in Norfolk, VA.
