Community letter of the Filipinas of HamOnt on the 2022 Philippine Presidential Elections
May 24, 2022
Hamilton, ON
You may be asking yourselves, how does the outcome of the recently-concluded Philippine election impact me and my community in the Filipin* diaspora? How do I make sure I am supporting those on the front lines of the Philippine electoral results?
We at the Filipinas of HamOnt write to you, from the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee, and Mississaugas. As we write this piece, our hearts are heavy. And probably yours too. We invite you to pause. Take a moment to take a deep breath in. Relax your shoulders, your neck, your jaw, your legs. We hope you find space to breathe and rest.
But we are also open to understanding why and to finding ways to make sense of what had just transpired in the 2022 Philippine elections.
It took us a week or so to write this piece. This delay involved taking time to process, stepping away to earn a living or spend time with our loved ones, surviving a pandemic and daily news. But write to you we must, because we are here, in this very moment - living in history, with you.
What happened?
The 2022 Philippine elections took place on Monday, May 9, 2022, with Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., son and namesake of the former dictator, poised to win the presidency. Marcos Jr.’s presumptive electoral victory will bring the Marcos family back into power after 36 years of being ousted from Malacañang by the 1986 People Power movement, when people vowed #NeverAgain.
What must be so bad about the Marcos regime, you might say? Human rights violations, forced disappearances, crippling public debt and gross economic misgovernance debt, and crony capitalism are just some of them. Marcos is in the company of the most corrupt leaders in recent history. Check the news on the plunder of the national coffers reaching 30B$++ here, here, and here. Some may argue that Marcos Jr. should not be judged by the excesses of his parents. But here is the thing, he benefited from the conjugal dictatorship of his parents. He also continues to support denials about this part of Philippine history. Instead of answering, however, to charges of brutality and corruption to account for the Martial Law period, as people demanded, the whole family was whisked away to Hawaii, thanks to Philippine political elites and the US government.
Sure, the elections resulted in the third-biggest electoral majority the Philippines has produced since 1935. It must be understood though that this is a victory gained neither from a sound policy platform nor exemplary leadership. Rather, Marcos Jr.’s ascent to the top of the tally, according to experts, is powered by command of resources and tech-mediated disinformation campaigns, following a pattern of weaponizing the internet. Tsek.ph, a fact-checking collaboration between 34 news and civil society organizations, reported that “as of April 30, 92 percent of fact checks about Marcos Jr. were false or misleading information in his favor.” His running mate, presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte, whose family name, and whose father, President Rodrigo Duterte, has built a solid following, also accounts for the boost in his candidacy.
Beyond Marcos Jr.’s campaign strategies, we must understand systemic factors contributing to this electoral victory.
Centuries of colonial interventions laid the groundwork for the stubborn disparity between the rich and the poor. Further, the failure of successive governments after the re-democratization in 1986 starting with Corazon Aquino to change the lives of the poorest of poor has left many disillusioned, falling prey to manipulation and false promises. This dynamic paved the way for the populist Duterte to win the presidency in 2016. The Duterte administration also helped pave the way for what some thought as the unthinkable to happen - a Marcos return to the presidency.
Duterte’s brand of populism vilified critical discussions from academics and the media; threatened any person or organization espousing opposing views with imprisonment, red-tagging, or a shutdown (as in the case of ABS-CBN, whose franchise was not granted by Duterte allies in Congress); and used tech platforms and micro-influencers to help rebrand history and the Marcoses’ legacy. Duterte, if we remember, gave the go-signal for a hero’s burial of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. despite massive protests. This decision is one of the many that contributed to the rebranding of the Marcoses, a revision of history.
What happens now?
A letter posted on the social media account of the University of the Philippines’ School of Economics from Emeritus Professor Emmanuel de Dios, addressed students that with this Marcos Jr. win notwithstanding, the social and political conditions that the Philippines have now is not the same as in Marcos Sr.’s 1972. The 1987 Constitution, its Bill of Rights, and a long tradition of civic engagement have provided some protection from would-be dictators. But the same letter also sends a strong reminder that freedoms not exercised are freedoms lost.
"Freedom and democracy are not writ in our stars. They are not destined. They are instead the product of human striving,” Sheila Coronel, a Filipino investigative journalist and Columbia University’s Director at the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, gave this message in a May 21, 2022 commencement address."
So we can be hopeful that responses from civil society exercising these freedoms are immediate. Philippine diaspora organizations like Anakbayan Canada and Migrante Ottawa showed up in front of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa as the 2022 Presidential tallies were coming in. This electoral victory is called out by many, such as in this manifesto (in English, Filipino, Ilocano, and Cebuano) of locally-based and internationally-situated scholars, academics, and allies, as a struggle against historical revisionism. Historical revisionism means an alteration and erasure of history to benefit a few, and cover-up oppression and injustices and those responsible for them.
How does the outcome of the Philippine election impact me and my community in the Filipin* diaspora?
To our kapwa Filipin* Canadians, we may be tens of thousand miles away from the Philippines and our kababayans who have thrown their energies, commitments, and hopes for the recent Presidential elections, but this is a time that calls for solidarity and striving.
The story of the Philippine diaspora is intertwined with Philippine colonization under the Spanish, US, and Japanese flags, where many moved (voluntarily or by force) to these colonial lands for studies (for most of those from elite families) or as precarious labourers (for those in the fringes of power). In post-colonial times, the fragile economy, misgovernance, persistent inequality, and feminization of international labour that attracts Filipino female migrant workers have made migration as a strategy for people to seek greener pastures.
In Canada, Martial Law and the history of migration of Filipinos is well-documented, such as in the Canadian Encyclopedia, which says “the declaration of Martial Law (by Ferdinand Marcos Sr.) in 1972 encouraged even more people to leave”. Many came over to Canada during this period. Over time, overwhelmingly female recruitment of Filipinos occurred through the Lived-In Caregiver Program, which enabled over 30,000 Filipinos to immigrate to Canada between 1982 and 1991. Many Filipino Canadians have also come here through the “high-skilled” points system for skilled workers and of late, as international students on temporary visas. So the story of migration, in short, is a story of seeking a better life, but a story of separation and continued connection. Connection that is made concrete through remittances to support family or pay for personal investments. Filipinos in Canada sent $1 billion to the Philippines in 2021 despite COVID19.
We can amplify the advocacy of those seeking the same better life in the Philippines, from our relative safety here abroad. It is often said, but it is true, that the struggles we face as racialized peoples here are connected to the history of our ancestors.
Many of us too in the diaspora, young and old alike, shuttle back and forth as passport holders of the Philippines, while also being citizens of Canada. According to a Rappler report, Canada is one of the top 10 countries with the most registered Filipino voters at 90,545. For us in the dual citizenship generation, patriotism is not just limited to one heritage.
Here in this part of Turtle Island, now known as Canada, let one of our very own contributions to decolonization efforts be engaging with our own communities, whether in the Philippines or here in our neighbourhoods which are also on the cusp of the election season. We can ask ourselves, how can we mobilize our communities to best support pro-democracy and pro-social justice advocates? As an individual, how can we take part in these?
John Nery, Filipino journalist and convenor of the Consortium of Democracy and Disinformation Philippines, tells us that those who argue that Marcos did some good for the Philippines need to hear this: “Who helped him steal all our money, and where’s the rest of it?”
Ask the families and friends of people who were tortured, who were disappeared during that time, or read their accounts. Even THE Beatles had their own story to tell.
Continue the fight against disinformation and historical revisionism. There are books, documentaries, and institutional records to learn more from this period. On social media, stand for the truth by sharing verified historical data and correcting misinformed netizens.
But if some would still insist on alternate views, sure. Pass this article on to them: 10 reasons Filipinos should be grateful to Marcos.
How do I make sure I am supporting those on the front lines of the Philippine electoral results?
In 2020, we launched the Filipinas of HamOnt with a ka/saysay/an (history) workshop series. We knew then how important it is to know our past, and we know more now how crucial the work is on this. For the rest of 2022-2023, we commit to developing workshops and seeking funding to support these, on critical history, civic engagement, and diaspora leadership that will further this cause.
Whatever pathways we may or those before us have taken to get here, we have inherited stories of struggles and resilience that mark our connection to our Philippine heritage. The privileges that we may have earned here - the freedoms we have can be used for a greater purpose - to be in solidarity with those who are on the ground trying to fight for these very same freedoms and justice, ensuring that historical and collective memories are not erased, and that where people can provide for their families and themselves without leaving.
We have curated resources below for you to follow, join, or donate to.
This electoral loss may be crushing, but there is a present and a future to be won.
Suggested Resources:
Post-election discussion
On June 15, the Philippines Social Science Seminar Series - PhilS4, SOAS (CSEAS) Centre of South East Asian Studies and Sydney Southeast Asia Centre have organized a discussion on Electoral Dystopias: From Colonial Democracy to Authoritarian Rule in the Philippines
Martial Law Resources (books & e-books)
Adarna House, children’s book publisher, released #NeverAgain bundle
"The Marcos Dynasty" by Sterling Seagrave
"Waltzing with a Dictator" by Raymond Bonner
"The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda" by Primitivo Mijares (1976 Ed)
"Marcos Martial Law--Never Again" by Raisa Robles
"Why Marcos Should Not Be Buried at LNMB" by National Historical Commission
Watch
BATAS MILITAR: Martial Law Under President Ferdinand E. Marcos Full Documentary
Daluyong: Political Filmmaking in a Period of Social Unrest Redux
Academics and allies to sign and share
Manifesto in Defence of Academic Truth and Historical Freedom
People and institutions to follow
Walden Bello, human rights activist since the Marcos era, progressive former party-list member of the House of Representatives, and retired University of the Philippines Professor of Sociology
Manuel Luis Quezon III Filipino writer on history, politics, and culture
Sheila Coronel, Filipina investigative journalist and Columbia University’s Director at the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism
Ambeth Ocampo, popular history academic
Inday Espina-Varona, Filipino journalist
Tsek.ph, a fact-checking collaboration between 34 news and civil society organizations
University of the Philippines’ Department of Political Science
News
Rappler, Interaksyon, Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism, Mindanews, Bulatlat
Join or donate
Akbayan North America Citizen’s Party
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