Philippines: FBI Harassment of Filipino Activists and Their Relatives Condemned
We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by Philippines Revolution Web Central on October 30.
Activists, relatives, and Filipino communities are actively fighting back against harassment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US because of their interactions with organizations in the Philippines. As a form of resistance, they launched the Defend Peoples’ Right to Resist Campaign on October 27 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland.
The campaign launch was accompanied by a press conference by progressive groups led by Bayan USA, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), Malaya Movement USA, and the International League of People’s Struggles (ILPS). The groups marched to the Philippine embassy in Washington DC to launch a protest as part of a national day of protest. There were also actions in Washington State and Northern California.
In recent months, the relatives of Christina Pasion, a Filipino-American activist who lived among farmers and indigenous people in Southern Tagalog and was arrested by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on July 30, have experienced pressure and harassment.
According to Christina’s brother, Gabe, after Christina was detained, his family often received calls from the US Embassy in the Philippines and the FBI. The FBI also visited their home and workplace, which caused fear and harassment for their family.
“The FBI has intensified its harassment not only of our family, but is also targeting those who condemn the injustice my brother is experiencing and those who stand in solidarity with the Filipino people and the movement for liberation. The collusion of the US and Philippine governments in harassing my family is their response to my brother’s service to the Filipino people,” Gabe explained.
Gordon Mutch, leader of ICHRP-US, has also experienced pressure from the US government. He was one of those denied entry into the Philippines because of their solidarity with the Filipino people. In September, he was stopped by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and his electronic devices were confiscated. He was held for four hours and was not allowed to speak to a lawyer or make a phone call. He was crossing from the US to Canada to attend a human rights conference.
According to Julie Jamora, leader of Malaya USA, what Christina and Gordon experienced was not an isolated incident or just an attack on a few individuals. It is part of a coordinated and strategic plan by the Marcos Jr. and Trump regimes to suppress people’s movements and the democratic right of the people to resist.
