BAY AREA FILIPINO COMMUNITY members and activists rallied this week outside the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco to protest what they believe is a failure from local consular officials to respond to issues affecting the Filipino community in the Bay Area.
Activists at the rally Monday called on the consulate to address U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions, wage theft and labor exploitation of Filipino caregivers, and the unresolved case of San Francisco native Brandon Lee, who survived a 2019 assassination attempt some allege was carried out by the Philippine military.
Officials with the consulate did not respond to requests for comment.
Monday’s rally, dubbed the “People’s SONA” (State of the Nation Address), was organized by grassroots Filipino groups including BAYAN USA, a national alliance of progressive organizations, GABRIELA USA, a progressive Filipino women’s group, the Malaya Movement San Francisco, which advocates for human rights and democracy in the Philippines, and Migrante NorCal and Tanggol Migrante Movement, both focused on migrant workers’ rights and welfare.
The protest was part of a broader mobilization tied to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent State of the Nation Address.
San Francisco has one of the largest Filipino populations among U.S. metropolitan areas, according to the Pew Research Center. The groups that rallied Monday highlighted issues facing Filipino diaspora communities and demanded justice and greater accountability from not only the Philippine government, but also from local consular officials.
The Tanggol Migrante Movement has urged the consulate to provide services for overseas nationals and address their constituents’ concerns, but said the consulate has repeatedly ignored requests to meet despite ongoing attempts since November.
GABRIELA USA and its local chapters criticized the consulate for failing to respond to recent cases of Filipino green card holders being detained by ICE.
Pyxie Castillo with GABRIELA said organizers stepped in to provide community support and legal aid following reports that ICE was summoning individuals to an unmarked warehouse in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood.
“We were at St. Patrick’s Church here in SoMa doing ‘know your rights’ training for a crowd of 60 people,” Castillo said. “People with green cards think this doesn’t affect them, but we’re seeing a pattern of folks who may have had a record 10 or 20 years ago being targeted, even though it’s expunged, they (ICE) doesn’t see that.”
Castillo added that affected families have attempted to seek help from the consulate, but were dismissed with silence or offered performative support.
We have had enough of the neglect of the Philippine state. We have had enough of the empty promises of the consular officials who have done nothing to help you.
patrick Racela, Migrante Norcal
“They’ve tried to talk to people (at the consulate) who’s supposed to represent them and their loved ones,” she said. “But they’ve gotten crumbs, been told ‘no,’ or nothing at all.”
Castillo said those detained by ICE preferred to have family members and organizations like the Tanggol Migrante Movement accompany them to court hearings. They perceived that by relying on the Philippine consulate, its involvement could worsen their situation due to carelessness or lack of support. Instead, they trusted groups like the Tanggol Migrante Movement to protect their rights and interests.
Organizers allege that Marcos has been negligent and reckless not only toward his people in the Philippines, but the greater global Filipino community.
“The work is really on the ground of us trying to at least give moral support to our kababayan — our countrymen — those who are facing similar like the conditions of what’s happening to migrants on the ground, the fascist attacks and the blatant kidnapping,” said Castillo.
Brandon Lee, a San Francisco native and former community journalist based in the Philippines, attempted on Monday to deliver dozens of letters before the People’s SONA rally started, urging the Commission on Human Rights in the Philippines to reopen the case of his 2019 attempted assassination, which left him paralyzed from the neck down. However, the consulate’s security and front desk denied Lee’s request, and closed its doors.
Homemade signs written in English and Tagalog reflected supporters’ belief that diplomatic priorities are misplaced and should focus more on protecting migrant workers.
“You’re going to come to the United States and try to claim that you’re serving the people, when in essence, what you have done is bow down to Trump and sell our homeland? Do your job, or step down” said Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal, leading the rally in both English and Tagalog.
Paulo Ramos of League of Filipino Students San Francisco State University reflected on the strong intergenerational support and solidarity abroad, as community members of all ages showed up to the People’s SONA.
“I think there’s always a longing for Filipino-Americans to want to know their identity,” said Ramos. “Being here at the People’s SONA and being with all these organizers who are demanding a free Philippines, a Philippines where the government supports its people and develops its economy and is not selling themselves out to the highest bidder.”
Janna Rosal, a member of GABRIELA Sacramento, said she came to the U.S. 11 years ago and grew up in a politically charged environment that was shaped by her parents’ vocal distrust of the Philippine government, particularly during the 1980s when they were active in the People Power Revolution against former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
“For us, having this free speech, we all need to speak out against this vicious crime,” said Rosal. “With Marcos being the f—— puppet of Trump … A lot more Filipino people need to know about this, because they don’t.”
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