Fil-Am group throws full support for Duterte

A Filipino group in the United States has manifested its full sup­port for real change in the Philip­pines as declared by President Duterte in the war against illegal drugs, corruption and poverty.

In a press statement, the newly formed group chaired by Arnedo S. Valera said the US Pi­noys for Real Change in the Phil­ippines (USPRCP) held a prayer vigil rally in front of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., to drum up their support for the Duterte administration.

The USPRCP, which is based in the State of Virginia, held its own celebration during the 31st anniversary of the EDSA People Power last Feb. 21.

The four-day People Power revolution on Feb. 22 to 25, 1986 toppled the 20-year strongman rule of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos that enabled the Phil­ippines to regain freedom and democracy.

“The spirit of EDSA should inspire Filipinos overseas that we are integral parts of the on-going change in the Philippines,” Valera said.

“We must remember that EDSA is not, and does not belong to one political group or color, but to all Filipinos, including Filipinos overseas who fought for or sup­port freedom and democracy. Now is the time for constructive engagement and to contribute to positive change in the Philip­pines. We should always be in­spired by the heroism in EDSA,” he said.

The group’s organizers pre­sented the USPRCP Statement of Support to Philippine Presi­dent Duterte’s War against Illegal Drugs, Corruption and Poverty to Acting Charge d’Affaires Patrick Chuasoto, who met the partici­pants outside the embassy and promised to promptly transmit the statement to Mr. Duterte.

“We believe that winning the war against the illegal drug trade, and winning the war against the culture of corruption, will go a long way towards win­ning the war against poverty, and vice-versa,” Valera pointed out.

The USPRCP also stressed its support to President Duterte’s thriving economic agenda.

Valera said that out of the “180 countries, the Philippines moved up from 70th place to 58th place in the 2017 Index of Economic Freedom. The annual Index is published by the Heri­tage Foundation, a leading think tank in Washington, D.C., which noted: ‘Despite the challenging global economic environment, the Philippines has achieved no­table economic expansion, driv­en by the economy’s strong ex­port performance and inflows of remittances that have bolstered private consumption.”

Among those present at the prayer vigil rally were USRPCP Co-Convenors Elizabeth E. Babi­era; Dan Jimenez, Philippine Mil­itary Academy (PMA) alumnus; Conrad Martinez of The Lord is My Shepherd prayer group; and members of the United Filipino Workers of Metropolitan D.C., led by its president, Clarita Chan.

Babiera read the messages of President Duterte, Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, and Police Maj. Kimberly Molitas, spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP) National Capital Region.

Duterte, in his EDSA anni­versary message, said: “My ad­ministration has always believed in the power of the people to chart their own destiny, and es­tablish a government that will put the people’s interests, especially the welfare of the poor and un­derprivileged sectors, as its top­most priority. More than a mere commemoration, now is the per­fect time for all of us to reflect and objectively assess what we have lost and what we have gained as a nation since that historic event.”

In his message, Lorenzana thanked USPRCP for its contin­ued support for President Duter­te.