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For the past 21 years, The Filipino Express has provided the Filipino American community the best news, arts and entertainment coverage from around the United States and the Philippines.
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Urges passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act
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CHICAGO – White House hopeful Sen. Barack Obama joined Monday, Feb. 25, the Filipino people in commemorating the 22nd anniversary of the “People Power” Revolution that “overthrew the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and end the martial law regime that ruled the Philippines for fourteen years. “
In a press statement released by the Obama Campaign Office, the Democratic front runner said, “Twenty-two years after the People Power Revolution in the Philippines, we remember and commemorate the Filipino people who used the democratic, non-violent method of “people power” to overthrow the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and end the martial law regime that ruled the Philippines for fourteen years.”
The Illinois senator said, “On this anniversary, I urge my colleagues in Congress to honor the Filipino veterans who bravely fought with American troops in World War II. Approximately 250,000 Filipino troops joined American forces to fight in World War II, but too many of these heroes are still being denied benefits.
“The time has come for Congress to honor the Filipino veterans of World War II by finally enacting the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007. I applaud Chairman Akaka’s leadership on this issue and will continue to urge my colleagues to provide the benefits and recognition these veterans deserve,” according to the senator, one of the 15 co-sponsors of the bill when it was introduced on Jan. 4, 2007 by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (Dem.-HI) as Senate Bill 57.
The bill was later incorporated into a larger Disabled Veterans Insurance Improvement Act of 2007 introduced last May 7, 2007 by another Hawaiian Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (Dem.), chair of the U.S. Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, as S. 1315 that is now pending passage before the full Senate.
Obama, a member of the U.S. Senate Veterans Committee, said, “Today, let us join Filipinos in America to honor the sacrifices and determination of the Filipino people in the tireless fight for democracy and freedom.”
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NEW YORK - Amidst the noise of the subway train and cold winter night, members of Anakbayan New York/New Jersey marched along side other member organizations of BAYAN USA and NAFCON (National Alliance for Filipino Concerns) on February 24 in the center of the Filipino community in Woodside Queens commemorating the EDSA People Power of 1986. Calls for the ouster of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo boomed across the block where most of the Filipino stores, businesses and restaurants are located.
With the Philippines again in the hands of a corrupt, anti-people, and fascist president and leading puppet of US imperialist, thousands of Filipinos unite once again in calling for the end of this oppressive regime. While tons of corruption charges against the present administration have been unresolved and continuously piling up, the ZTE-NBN Broadband deal exposing yet another form of rampant corruption in Philippine government sparked once more the outrage of the Filipino nation. And while calls for Arroyo's ouster escalates in the Philippines, it also resonates abroad.
"The corruption of the Arroyo government can never be justified. The government has money for 'war', 'debt servicing' and other anomalous government deals but not for education of the youth and basic social services for its people. In turn, prices of basic services go up which leaves majority of the Filipino families scrambling in poverty. That is the reason why many Filipinos opt to migrate to other countries, either leaving their children behind or bringing them to be raised up in racially sensitive environments abroad," Anakbayan New York/New Jersey Vice President, Yancy Gandionco said.
Anakbayan New York/New Jersey has been one of the most vocal Filipino- American youth organizations in the United States to express anti-US-Arroyo sentiments, taking off from its principle of struggling for a nationalist and truly democratic society. With its mother chapter in the Philippines, Anakbayan has been in the forefront of calling for systemic change in the social order of the nation since Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took office in 2001.
"What we need is genuine leadership and a truly democratic government that will address the basic needs of the youth and other basic sectors of Philippine society. With leaders from the ranks of the youth being critical of the Arroyo government, some of them have been either silenced or hounded by suspected elements from the Philippine military under the chain of command of the President. Under this political climate wherein young people who had chosen to expose the truth about the government were not spared, we, the Filipino-American youth in New York/New Jersey, even if thousands of miles away, will continue to voice out our disgust and criticisms and not be cowered by this hungry-power regime," Gandionco added.
The protest action ended with the lighting of red and white candles and the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and "Bayan Ko" in the corner of Roosevelt and 69th Street. It was followed by a solidarity night at the Bayanihan Filipino Community Center sponsored by BAYAN USA Northeast, Anakbayan New York/New Jersey, Filipinas for Rights and Empowerment (FiRE) and New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP). The event was held in commemoration of the Philippine-American War of 1899 and a public orientation by International League of People's Struggle (ILPS) Chairperson Prof. Jose Maria Sison via videoconference on the upcoming Third International Assembly of the ILPS on June in Hongkong.
Another mass action will take place on February 28 as we observe the international day against corruption in the Philippines. Everyone is encouraged to wear white shirt or pin white ribbon on their right chest pocket on that day. Anakbayan New York/New Jersey will be setting up information desk on days leading to February 28 in Jersey City & Roosevelt Queens.
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MANILA - As promised by opposition leaders, the highly touted interfaith rally was attended by thousands of people who demanded for truth and accountability from the Arroyo administration, especially in the wake of the $329.48-million ZTE broadband network deal mess. Opposition leader and Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay said around 50,000 participated in the interfaith rally.
Green symbolizing "hope" was the color of the day for opposition groups who joined militant and religious organizations gather in Makati City for the rally. Former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Cory Aquino attended the rally.
Students from Catholic schools also the inter-faith rally, with the Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association (MAPSA). MAPSA president Msgr. Gerardo Santos said his group belongs to the "Watch and Pray Movement" composed of Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines–NCR, parochial schools and catechists, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting.
"We joined them not because we favor GMA's resignation but because we want to be in solidarity with the citizenry who value Truth that's why our slogan is 'Truth, Accountability and Integrity' which we want to highlight," he said.
"We should be together in this pilgrimage for truth and rid the country of corruption which has severely affected the citizens," he added.
Their assembly began at Don Bosco Makati where an orientation was held "because we wanted to be clear on our stand and establish a common ground."
Other Christian denominations voiced solidarity with the inter-faith rally, in separate statements posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Web site (www.cbcpnews.com) Thursday night. Bishop Solito Toquero of the United Methodist Church, Manila Episcopal Area said graft and corruption have cost the Arroyo administration its credibility to govern.
"The loss of respect for authority in almost all sectors of our society in politics, business or religion is very much prevalent these days not only in the Philippines but also in many other nations," Toquero said in a statement.
"What has happened to our leaders and to the "only Christian country in Asia? Why can we not eliminate graft and corruption in government? Whatever regime is in power, the octopus of graft and corruption, strangling and gripping tightly our people, agencies and institutions continue to choke us; our leaders seem powerless to extricate us from this stranglehold. Are we not a Christian country? Is this not an oxymoron, a corrupt 'Christian' country, allegedly the most corrupt in Asia?" he asked.
For his part, Iglesia Filipina Independiente bishop Godofredo David said the present crisis caused by greed for wealth and power should be stopped. He said the Filipino people deserve a president and a government that would genuinely promote their welfare and well-being and uphold their interests as citizens of the country.
David also urged his church members in particular and people in general that all should need to make efforts to search for the truth and fight falsehood and deception.
"Let us find inspiration in the courage of those who speak the truth and with them continue to thread the path towards the establishment of just society under a government that genuinely serves the interest of the Filipino people, he said.
The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) also welcomed the CBCP's stand against corruption.
"We call on the Filipino people to have the courage to be set free from the sins injustice, oppression, suppression and violence. Let us claim our right for the truth. Let us support and join in collective action for truth to come out and let justice roll down wherever it may," UCCP general secretary bishop Eliezer Pascua said.
UCCP also questioned Arroyo's integrity as her administration has failed to curb corruption in the country. A pastor of the National Methodist Churches in the Philippines said that the evil of corruption has to be exorcised and ended.
Militants, on the other hand, pushed for the ouster of Arroyo during the event. Umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it and its affiliate organizations will assemble at 2 p.m. at Rustan's along Ayala Avenue where it will hold a short program.
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