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.

Duterte’s Anti-Terror Act: Five years of terrorizing the people

It’s been five years since Rodrigo Duterte signed the sweeping fascist Anti-Terror Act (ATA) that effectively criminalized dissent and legalized political repression. Malaya Movement USA along with many other advocacy groups widely criticized the ATA for the dangers it posed to activists and human rights defenders who’d already been subjected to the Duterte regime’s relentless attacks. The ATA along with the Noynoy Aquino-era Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act (TFPSA) are used to target advocates and human rights defenders. 

The unconstitutional maneuvers of opportunist senators to dismiss Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial before it even begins are the latest shameful and absurd example of how corrupt the political system is in the Philippines. Laws are treated by the ruling political dynasties as if they are merely ‘optional’ rules that can be bent or disregarded at their whim, to serve their own selfish interests.

To Filipinos in the US, be alert of known criminal violators of human rights, Jeffrey Celiz and Royina Garma, who in this moment are trying to escape accountability in the Philippines by seeking refuge in the US. Celiz is applying for political asylum in Canada.

Sign the letter: actionnetwork.org/forms/duterte-icc25