National Statement of Filipinos in Canada on Arroyo's State of the Nation Addres National Statement of Filipinos in Canada, 24 July 2005 Heighten our unity to oust the immoral and illegitimate Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo As Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivers her State of the Nation Address on July 25, 2005, we as overseas Filipinos in Canada meet her address not only with critical reproach but with firm resolve to continue our contribution to realize the ouster of this illegitimate and corrupt president. Arroyo is clinging on to her presidency despite admitting to electoral fraud. The disappointment and anger of the Filipino people can no longer be contained. Since her admission on 24 June 2005 that implicates her involvement in manipulation of votes, there has been a widespread call for Arroyo to resign. People's organizations of peasants, workers, women, migrants and youth have been calling for her ouster. Parliamentarians have been demanding her resignation. Business people can no longer stand her corruption and deceit. Academics view her as destructive to democracy. Church people have been pleading for her to step down and answer to the democratic demands of the people. In other words, not since the fall of former Philippine President Joseph Estrada have the broad sectors of the Filipino people been so united in their discontent, disgust, and wish to have Arroyo resign. Contrary to the claims of pro-Arroyo forces and ruling families that the Philippines is tired of people power, the groundswell of people pouring into the streets and democratically expressing their discontent over her administration shows different. Instead of a people tired out by corruption, we are witnessing a people roused by injustice and valiantly showing a brave willingness to struggle for a just cause. Pro-Arroyo forces and ruling families that fear the people’s anger and politicization are towing the U.S. line that People’s Power is unconstitutional and should not form the basis for a new government in the Philippines. However, the people remain resolute in their legitimate right to oust an illegitimate president. In fact, a group of lawyers in the Philippines agree that People Power is entirely constitutional, pointing to the fact that Arroyo was catapulted into the presidency through people power in 2001. While moves to impeach Arroyo continue and efforts like the recently established Truth Commission purport to shed more light on how deep corruption runs in the Arroyo administration, nothing can replace the strength the people’s movement. This groundswell of cries for justice and Arroyo’s ouster has even spread abroad. As overseas Filipinos in Canada, our sentiment for the well-being of our families and the good of our homeland runs deep and we can no longer tolerate Arroyo. Arroyo has proven herself to be an anti-people, anti-national and pro-U.S. president who has driven the Philippines further into poverty and subservience to U.S. imperialism. Throughout her administration, Arroyo used Overseas Filipino Workers to help pump in foreign exchange into the ailing economy. The foreign exchange remittances of Filipino overseas contract workers have grown to USD 8.5 billion in 2004. With dollar signs blinding her vision, Arroyo has even appealed to overseas Filipino workers, including our community, to increase our remittances by $20 U.S. per month. While she pleads for us to send her ailing economy more dollars, Arroyo has done nothing to protect overseas Filipinos, as scores of our compatriots are being abused, exploited and even deported. The sentiment to oust Arroyo is on the rise and intensifying in our community. In Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, progressive and peace-loving Filipinos will express this sentiment in various oust Arroyo actions. We stand firm in our solidarity with the Filipino people who will take to the streets for the State of the Nation Address in the hundreds of thousands resonating the call to oust Arroyo. We draw inspiration from their militancy and gain resolve to educate and mobilize even more compatriots to work towards a genuinely democratic Philippines. Democratic-minded and peace-loving Canadians also see the justness of this struggle. As Arroyo arrogantly ignores the majority of the people, more and more Canadians are supporting the call of the Filipino people to oust her. We support the call of BAYAN, the progressive alliance of people’s organizations, and of militant party-list organizations like Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela for a democratic transitional council made up of a cross-section of Philippine society. This council would implement immediate reforms and pave the way for elections wherein the people can choose their leader. As patriotic and progressive overseas Filipinos in Canada, the need for unity is urgent. We must continue to educate ourselves about the current realities in our home country and how we are connected to this reality through our forced migration. We must heighten our unity to step up our campaign to oust the illegitimate President Arroyo. With each parasitic and corrupt leader we expose and rid ourselves of, the more we learn about the rottenness of the ruling system and gain insights on the society we want to achieve. And the more we learn about and participate in making the Philippines a better place, we get one step closer to realizing the Filipino people’s unfulfilled aspirations for a truly free and democratic Philippines. Oust Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo! Long live the Filipino people’s struggle for national freedom and democracy! STATEMENT OF: Vancouver -- SIKLAB (Advance the Rights and Welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers) Filipino Nurses Support Group Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance Philippine Women Centre of BC Toronto -- Philippine Network for Justice and Peace Philippine Women Centre of Ontario Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance (UKPC)-Toronto Filipino Workers' Support Committee Ottawa -- Pilipinong Migrante sa Canada (PMSC) Montreal -- PINAY Montreal Kabataang Montreal National – National Alliance of Philippine Women in Canada