Katarungan DC

Come join Katarungan DC members at our campaign launch October 5th at Cleveland Park Library! We will be making zines and discussing issues of surveillance in the US and the Philippines. Bring a friend!

Today, September 23rd, the International Criminal Court was supposed to conduct their first hearing investigating Rodrigo Duterte for his human rights violations. This hearing was postponed due to alleged “health concerns” with no prior indication of deteriorating health. Katarungan strongly denounces the ICC’s decision to postpone Duterte’s trial. Justice delayed is justice denied! Hold Duterte accountable for his crimes against humanity!

Join and Filipinx book club at Loyalty Bookstores! We’re reading Patricia Evangelista’s Some People Need Killing, a book about extrajudicial killings during President Duterte’s “War on Drugs”. We’ll be reading the book through an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist lens so join us for meaningful discussion and deepening our understanding of the Filipino struggle.

Rather than reading a new book each month, we will read a book over a few months (typically 3-4 months, depending on the length of the book), with a monthly discussion on each part. July’s book club discussion will conclude our current selection, Some People Need Killing with sections 2 and 3.

Join us at Loyalty inside The DC Pop Up located at 1155 Dahlia St NW, on the lawn side between Whole Foods and JINYA Ramen! There will also be a virtual option available!

On July 4, 1946, the United States granted the Philippines independence from several decades of colonial rule. This day is also celebrated as Philippine-American Friendship day to commemorate the longstanding partnership between the two countries.

But what does the 4th of July mean to the Filipino people? And is the relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines a genuine “friendship”? Is the Philippines even truly free?

The United States has long exploited the Filipino people for their land, labor, and resources. While U.S. corporations and military bases occupy and destroy the land for their own profit, Filipinos struggle to find work that pays a living wage, are being pushed out of their homes, and are often forced to find work abroad. Filipino communities face violence and destruction by the U.S. military through the Balikatan Exercises and excessive surveillance.

The Filipino people deserve to see a genuinely free Philippines! We commit to supporting the grassroots organizing of the Filipino people and the diaspora, furthering our education on the three basic problems, and fighting against the imperialist powers that continue to oppress the Filipino people.

Today, we do not celebrate the “friendship” between the U.S. and the Philippines. We celebrate the work of our workers, organizers, supporters, and leaders who are committed to fighting for a genuinely free and democratic Philippines.

Join us in the fight against imperialism and fascism!

The Balikatan exercises wrapped up on May 9th, concluding more than three weeks of what the US has called a “full battle test” of the fight for the Philippines Preparing for war with China, the U.S. conducted the annual exercises, displacing Filipinos, threatening their safety and livelihoods, and normalizing violence and environmental destruction at the height of Philippines election season. All of this is done to protect America’s control over the Philippines, and none of it is acceptable.

To learn more about the Balikatan exercises, and the findings of international observers during the Philippine elections, check out and support the effort to get the U.S. out of the Philippines!

Swipe through to learn more about why June 12 is considered Philippine Independence Day and the ongoing fight for genuine Philippine sovereignty!

Join Anakbayan DC and Katarungan
DC for Filipinx book club at Loyalty Bookstores on Sunday 5/18 at 4pm ET! We’re reading Patricia Evangelista’s Some People Need Killing, a book about extrajudicial killings during President Duterte’s “War on Drugs”. We’ll be reading the book through an anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist lens so join us for meaningful discussion and deepening our understanding of the Filipino struggle. Rather than reading a new book each month, we will read a book over a few months (typically 3-4 months, depending on the length of the book), with a monthly discussion on each part. This book club discussion will cover Part 2 of the book. Join us at Loyalty’s pop-up with The DC Pop Up located at 1155 Dahlia St NW, next to JINYA Ramen! There will also be a virtual option available!
For more info visit loyaltybookstores.com/Filipinx1

It’s May Day! Internationally celebrated across the world, we invite you to think about what this significant day means for those in the Philippines. ✊🏽

Interested in discussing topics of prison abolition, revolution, and counter-insurgency with fellow activists? Join Katarungan DC’s first ever book club discussion analyzing Chapter 1 + 2 of Orisamni Burton’s book, “Tip of the Spear.” We will meet virtually on Saturday, March 1 for a guided discussion - RSVP here: tinyurl.com/tipofthespear

🎤 This October, as arrests, intimidation, enforced disappearances, killings of human rights defenders and bombings in rural communities continue to worsen in the Philippines, Drew is moving to Canada to contribute more time to the global campaigns of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) 🍁

🎧🪕 On Sept 26th, Katarungan DC and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines will be hosting a fundraiser for ICHRP and a despedida for Drew before he leaves the DMV area. The concert will feature Lucivantes, a Filipino cultural worker (check out his youtube) and Dionaea Spouse, a Toronto based musician and member of ICHRP

🎸✊ This event is open to the public, but RSVP is required (tinyurl.com/songs4sol). Food will be provided. This will be an outdoor concert on the CWA rooftop, and masks are required while not eating to ensure everyone’s health and safety. Suggested donation of 15-30 dollars.

💸 If you can’t make the event but would still like to donate to ichrp, you can do so by going to ichrp.net/donate or venmo: @/droomiller

🚨ACTION ALERT🚨
Join us Wednesday at the Philippine Embassy and US State Department to condemn Blinken & Austin trip to Manila & US War provocations!

On July 30th, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken & Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be holding a 2+2 ministerial meeting in Manila with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo and Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro. Reports indicate the 2+2 meeting will: develop the ‘roadmap” to strengthen US-PH defense priorities and to
“modernize” the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and to announce an additional $500 million of Foreign Military Financing to the PH. This is part of an onslaught of US schemes and legislation to provoke war against China and enhance the counterinsurgency responsible for war crimes in the PH.
The Philippine ambassador to the US recently said in an interview, “We need to really pump [military aid] up as quickly as we can.” and so we along with our allies must also ‘pump up’ our opposition to the absurd increases in military funding that will surely cause more harm and suffering of the Filipino people amidst a cost of living crisis, continuing human rights violations and war crimes. ICHRP-US, Malaya Movement USA, Kabataan Alliance & BAYAN-USA, along with the PHRA Coalition are calling for us to raise our fight against military aid to the Philippines and hold indignation rallies between July 31st and mount an urgent advocacy response.

‼️GUILTY‼️
MARCOS, DUTERTE, AND BIDEN FOR WAR CRIMES AGAINST THE FILIPINO PEOPLE

Join Bayan DMV, Diaspora Palante Collective, Katarungan DC, Terp CHRP, and Balt CHRP in a local action bringing the guilty verdict of the International People’s Tribunal to the belly of the beast.

⚖️ What is the International People’s Tribunal (IPT)?⚖️
The IPT is a quasi-legal trial examining the multitude of international humanitarian law violations against the Filipino people committed by the United States backed Philippines Government. Witnesses presented testimonies detailing terrifying state abductions of activists, brutal murders of civilians, and a massacre of surrendered combatants. Experts also testified on how IHL applies to the war in the Philippines.

‼️Join us on May 28th @ 5:30pm to amplify these witnesses’ voices and hold Marcos, Biden, and Duterte accountable‼️

Please wear a mask!