Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

LOS ANGELES – Their chants from the street could be heard from inside the Sheraton Hotel.

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made a brief visit to Los Angeles and held a breakfast event at the Sheraton Hotel last Saturday.

And demonstrators from across Southern California made their voices heard.

Chanting, "What do you really want? What do you really, really want? Justice!" a group of about 20 Filipinos gathered outside the Sheraton protesting the president’s visit.

"We came here today to tell Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that we don’t approve of her con-ass (Constituent Assembly) and human rights violations," said Kuusela Hilo, vice chairperson for Bayan USA.

"It’s important for us to be here because we part of the Filipino people even though we are overseas," she added. "We support the country’s economy but most importantly, we support the country and the movement to keep the country a national democracy. We don’t want charter change."

A few weeks ago, the Philippine House of Representatives passed a controversial resolution 1109, a Charter change measure seeking to convene Congress into a constituent assembly.

Senate and House leaders are planning to vote on the issue next month.

Meanwhile, other groups have set a Manila-wide protest rally on June 30 to start the countdown to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s last year in office, according to Inquirer.net.

( www.asianjournal.com )

( Published on June 24, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A3 )