A Nation Betrayed, Again: The People’s Verdict on Marcos and Duterte

People’s SONA 2025 Statement | Migrante Canada

July 26, 2025

As President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in the Philippines, we the overseas Filipinos in Canada and human rights defenders deliver our own verdict. This is not a nation in recovery. This is a nation betrayed, again.

Human Rights Under Siege

With three years into Marcos Jr.’s term, the culture of impunity remains intact. The red-tagging of activists, union organizers, and critics of the government, the militarization of rural and indigenous communities, and the targeting of journalists are not remnants of the past; they are living realities under his regime. The Marcos Jr. government continues to pour billions into agencies like the National Task Force to End Local Community Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), whose main mission is to suppress dissent and silence the poor. Under Marcos Jr. and like the presidents before him, repression is state policy.

Worsening Economic Crisis, Rising Hunger

Marcos Jr has ignored or failed to confront the most urgent gut issues faced by Filipinos. Food prices remain at record highs, wages are stagnant, and precarious work has become the norm. Farmers continue to face displacement, transport workers are under threat of losing their livelihood, and millions live without social protection and basic services, like water. The claims of economic progress ring hollow in communities where children go to school hungry, parents work multiple jobs just to survive, and men and women continue to leave by the thousands every day to work abroad.

Marcos’ “food sovereignty” programs have only enriched agribusiness, big landlords, and importers, not the farmers who feed the country. His economic agenda serves foreign and elite interests—not those of the Filipino masses.

Sara Duterte Needs to Face an Impeachment Trial

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte’s misuse of PhP 612.5 million of confidential funds—alongside her record of militarizing education and evading transparency warrants full public scrutiny. When students lack classrooms, teachers are overworked and underpaid, and the education sector is in crisis, Sara Duterte owes the public an explanation, not silence.

The people deserve an impeachment trial, not for political spectacle, but for truth and accountability. A culture of impunity at the highest levels only deepens public mistrust. The people cannot allow government positions to serve as shields for corruption and abuse.

Philippine Sovereignty for Sale under the Marcos Regime

The Marcos Jr regime has unashamedly bowed to the US geo-political agenda in the Asia Pacific region. He has allowed full access to the US in establishing their bases and facilities and its war exercises and has signed off on defense and security agreements with the US which only puts the entire country and the Filipino people in danger, serving as pawns in any conflict between the US and other superpowers like China.

Overseas Filipinos are Exploited and Abandoned

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), once hailed as “modern-day heroes,” continue to be used as cash cows for remittances. The Marcos administration has abandoned the OFWs, and failed to protect them from abuse, unpaid wages, and labour trafficking. Embassies and consular offices remain understaffed, welfare and reintegration programs are sorely inadequate, and the Department of Migrant Workers is no more than a bureaucratic band-aid.

Whether in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Canada or elsewhere, migrant workers continue to have their rights violated, face death, go missing, or return home with nothing—while this government looks the other way.

Migrante Canada highlights the recent case of more than 20 Filipinos who were labour trafficked to Cambodia, and raises the urgent calls of Migrante International and Liza Maza for their immediate repatriation of all the victims, their transfer to safe halfway houses, and provision of medical and financial assistance. As of July 7, there are Filipinos in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia who still await repatriation. Migrante Canada demands justice for the victims and a full investigation on the role of government officials in labour trafficking.

The People’s Movement Continues to Grow Stronger

Despite the repression and neglect, the people continue to push back, to fight back. From the halls of Congress, to picket lines to the parliament on the streets, from rural land occupations to urban mass actions, communities continue to organize and take mass action, always at great odds. Workers continue to unionize to grow and expand their collective strength. Students link their issues with that of the other sectors and are walking out of schools to join the people’s movement. Migrants overseas continue to organize and connect their struggles with other migrants in their host countries and with the struggles across the borders.

In the 2025 SONA, the people will declare in a unified voice the calls to end poverty, corruption, dynasties and non-accountability! 

Hold Marcos Jr. to account. Impeach Sara Duterte!

We will hold Marcos accountable, a president who oppresses the people, a fascist, a criminally negligent and destructive president.

Marcos singilin, pangulong pahirap, pasista, pabaya at pahamak!

Wakasan ang kahirapan, korapsyon, dinastiya at kawalang pananagutan!

Marcos singilin! Duterte panagutin!

This People’s SONA is a declaration of people’s power, a call for accountability, an end to poverty, corruption, and political dynasties.

There can be no unity without justice. No progress without people’s power. No democracy without truth.

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Makibaka, Huwag Matakot!

Isulong ang Laban ng Sambayanan!