Statement of Concern from Filipinos in the US

STATEMENT OF CONCERN
CONDEMN "STATE OF EMERGENCY" IN THE PHILIPPINES!

We, the undersigned labor, church, community and human rights leaders here in the United States, condemn the declaration of a state of emergency in the Philippines by Gloria Arroyo. This is an act of desperation on the part of a president who is widely viewed by the people as illegal and illegitimate to extend her stay in power through spurious and unconstitutional means and maneuvers by riding roughshod on the people's civil and political rights, and by resorting increasingly to more fascist means to achieve an unimpeded Palace power grab.

We also denounce the warrantless arrest and detention of Anakpawis
Representative Crispin Beltran, his wife and several other members of his
family and the ongoing military crackdown on other progressive party-list
solons as plain acts of political harassment against opposition leaders
which are blatantly illegal and without basis, in total disregard of
parliamentary immunity.

We further condemn the military's recent (Friday night) raid on the *Daily Tribune* newspaper office, the deployment of troops to *"watch"* over broadcast stations ABS-CBN and GMA7, and the threat against media organizations and personnel – as a concerted attempt of the Arroyo regime to clamp down on media and prevent them from exercising the freedom of the press without which there would be no democracy in the Philippines.

We support the Filipino people in their demands:

*Immediately release Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran and his family!*

*Lift the so-called "state of national emergency" immediately! *

*Oust the illegal, lying, cheating, stealing Arroyo regime from Malacañang
Palace! *

Initial Signatories:

Mario Santos
2nd Vice President
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
San Francisco Chapter

Guillermo Ponce de Leon
Spokesperson
First Quarter Storm Network (FQSN) – USA

Arturo P. Garcia
Coordinator
Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV)
Los Angeles, California

Vener Malabanan
Spokesperson
Philippine Peasant Network (PESANTE) – USA

Ago Martinez
Coordinator
Alliance Philippines – Seattle