For Immediate Release

July 27, 2005

For Reference: Berna Ellorin, Northeast Regional Coordinator, BAYANusa
Phone: 0928-300-8893 (Philippines) / email: nychrp @ yahoo.com

FILIPINO-AMERICANS MAKE WAVES AT PEOPLE'S SONA IN MANILA; CALL FOR OUST
GLORIA

MANILA-- Commonwealth Avenue in Manila was the sight for over 40
Filipino-Americans chanting under the hot sun "We gotta beat back the
Gloria attack! We gotta beat beat back, the Gloria attack!".

Marching under the banners of "USA 4 GMA's Resignation" and the US
Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYANusa), the vibrant and
youthful Fil-Am contingent participated with over 80,000 Filipinos in
Manila to call for the ouster of Philippine President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo in the yearly "Kontra-SONA" rally, simultaneous with
the scheduled State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered by the
President to Congress.

The buildup for Fil-Am participation started with a press conference on
the eve of SONA in Quezon City. "We are representing the calls,
concerns, and sentiments of our compatriots and solidarity friends in
the United States, who want to see the end to this illegitimate
administration as much as Filipinos do in the Philippines, " stated
Sergio Robledo of USA 4 GMA's Resignation, a national coalition of
US-based Filipinos and organization calling Gloria's resignation.

During the march, Fil-Ams contributed projected numerous chants set to
clever hip-hop beats like "Move GMA get out way, get out the way, get
out the way." Even the popular Hello Garci ringtone set to rapper
50-Cent was modified to "C'mon Gloria, it's your last day, we're gonna
protest like it's your last day. We're gonna march at SONA like it's
your last day. Cuz Filipinos in the US want you out today!".

Props included Lady Liberty and Uncle Sam in costume marching with
placards reading "USA says OUST GLORIA!" and "We want you, Gloria, to
Resign!"

Highlights also included a hip-hop act by Filipino-American members of
League of Filipino Students (LFS), San Francisco Chapter, which was so
well-received with thunderous applause by the 80,000+ audience that an
encore was requested shortly after. 

In a speech delivered onstage, Berna Ellorin of BAYANusa assured
rallyists "protests action calling for Gloria's ouster in cities such
as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Seattle will not stop and
will only continue to escalate until such time Gloria is out of
Malacanang." Silmultaneous "Kontra-SONA" actions in various US cities
under the banner of BAYANusa took place as well. ###