Rock the Mic for Human Rights in the Philippines: Stop the Killings! Album Compilation
Last week, Filipino American artists and allies released Rock the Mic for Human Rights in the Philippines: Stop the Killings!, a compilation album produced by Nomi of Beatrock Music's Power Struggle and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP-US). The album features a bunch of dope Filipino artists from all over the country, like MC Geologic from OG political hip-hop duo Blue Scholars, Filipina-fronted punk band Material Support, sick rapper MC Baka, and our personal fave track from electronica soul group Bootleg Orchestra and Free The Robots, a pioneer of LA’s beat scene, just to name a few. All proceeds from the album's sales are in direct support of ICHRP-US’s Stop The Killings Campaign to end Philippine President Duterte’s drug war, lift martial law in the Mindanao region and prevent another fascist dictatorship from occurring in the Philippines.
The album release is in conjunction with the Stop the Killings: The People’s Caravan for Peace and Justice, a national caravan of human rights advocates from the Philippines and U.S. who are touring the country spreading awareness in communities and legislative houses, on the human rights situation in the Philippines. The caravan and speaking tour began on April 20 in Washington D.C., to New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and ends on May 11 in Los Angeles.
Last Tuesday, Jerome Succor Aba, a 25 year old peace advocate from Mindanao who was invited to speak on the tour, was denied entry to the U.S. at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO). According to Jerome’s recounting to Karapatan, a Human Rights Alliance in the Philippines, he was held for 28 hours at SFO and endured physical and psychological torture and harassment during his detainment. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection violated his basic civil and political rights: he was illegally searched, denied access to a lawyer, interrogated for hours, made to strip naked in a freezing room, left alone with a gun and grenade, and deprived of sleep, food, and water before being made to sign a waiver and then deported back to Manila. Aba is currently the National Chairperson of Suara Bangsamoro and Co-Chair of Sandugo Movement for Moro and Indigenous Peoples for Self Determination. This is the first time a Filipino activist experienced Guantanamo-style "enhanced interrogation techniques" at the hands of the US government. The Trump regime should be held accountable for its anti-Muslim immigration policies as part of its "war on terror".
“This is our attempt to depict the realities in the Philippines - while making a connection to peoples’ crucial role here in the U.S. We need to respond to these killings because our tax dollars are directly supporting Philippines’ state operations to target the poor, indigenous people, and human rights leaders”, says Menchie, producer of Bootleg Orchestra.
Stream the album below and buy via Bandcamp here. All proceeds from this album will go to ICHRP-US in helping the coalition continue its advocacy work for human rights in the Philippines.
Follow ICHRP-US to find out when the Stop the Killings Speaking Tour 2018 will be in your town and demand #Justice4Jerome
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