ORGANIZATIONS and allies of the Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle (FFPS) staged a Global Day of Action Tuesday, August 26, denouncing what they called the Marcos administration’s escalating repression.
More than 30 organizations in over 10 countries participated in coordinated actions, accusing the government of a “sham peace” agenda and showing solidarity with the Filipino people.
“How can Marcos claim to champion ‘peace’ when he is the number one sower of unpeace? While the Filipino people endure landlessness, low wages, rising prices and other systemic problems under Marcos’ presidency, the government relentlessly attacks anyone who dares dissent,” said Robert Reid, FFPS chairperson.
Reid labeled the government’s actions a “war of suppression,” citing what he called a policy of “massacres, murders, military control and bombings of rural communities.”
According to the human rights watchdog Karapatan, as of June 2025, the Marcos government’s counterinsurgency war has resulted in 51,206 victims of bombing, 67,204 victims of indiscriminate firing, and 45,097 victims of forced evacuation.
Reid also criticized foreign support for the Philippine government, saying, “Foreign military aid and political support fuel Marcos’ war crimes. The only ‘peace’ they are buying is a peace of the grave.”
“A just and lasting peace requires addressing the root causes underlying the armed civil conflict,” he added.
Under Marcos, ties between the Philippines and the United States have deepened, with the US reportedly involved in the counterinsurgency war through a $5.58 billion arms sale in 2025 and direct involvement in spy-plane operations and ground patrols during Balikatan exercises.
Activists in Europe, North America, Hong Kong, and New Zealand echoed the call for a just and lasting peace. Protests were held outside Philippine embassies and consulates, while other groups organized film screenings, teach-ins, and other creative actions to show support.
Lidia Rodenburg, Coordinator of Maya Solidarity in the Netherlands, stated that the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) offers “the most genuine path to change.”
“Its program addresses the real problems driving the Filipino people to take up arms. A just and lasting peace can only come when the people’s desire for national liberation and social change is fulfilled,” Rodenburg said.
Activists also challenged Marcos’ claim in his State of the Nation Address that no guerrilla forces remain.
“If there were no more guerrillas, why are Marcos’ bombs raining down on communities and his battalions occupying villages,” asked Jonathan Bagot, chairperson of FFPS-CST in Vancouver.
Rei X of the Canada-Philippine Solidarity Organization in Toronto added, “We reject US-Marcos’ fake peace and call on people worldwide to support the Philippine revolution until victory.”
Coni Ledesma of the NDFP emphasized the ongoing struggle.
“Today we continue to commemorate the Cry of Pugad Lawin, the cry for freedom and liberation, because we are still struggling and fighting for the full liberation of the Philippines. The revolutionaries that are building a new Philippines are building peace,” Ledesma said.
