USAP Coalition
Press Release 06
Aug. 23, 2013

USAP Coalition Launches US-Wide Mass Actions, Aug. 23-25.

LOS ANGELES—In an act of solidarity with the Filipinos’ public upheaval against Philippine government’s corruption leading to the “Million March to Luneta” on August 26, Filipino-Americans and their allies resolve to organize parallel protest from Aug. 23-25 in key cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Honalulu and Washington DC in the US .

The newly formed United States Action Against PDAF (USAP) Coalition organizers demand among other things an immediate scrapping of the “pork barrel” or the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which as asserted by the Commission on Audit (COA), has been a great source of corruption and pillaging of the people’s taxes.

US Mass Actions vs PDAF, Aug 23-25.

The United States Action Against PDAF (USAP) will hold candle light vigil to show support and indignation on August 25, 5 p.m. at the Philippine Consulate General, 3600 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, August 25 in New York , and August 23 in San Francisco. Washington DC and Honolulu will follow suit..

Alliance Philippines declared: “Enough with politicians pocketing people’s taxes while the rest of the country are suffering from the devastation of the floods,” said Art Garcia, LA community leader and seniors’ advocate.

The veterans, widows, and health professionals will follow with rally and delegation to the Philippine Consulate at 447 Sutter Street in downtown San Francisco on Friday, August 23.

“We are sending the message to President Aquino that if he wants to clean the government, he should himself initiate scrapping the “pork barrel,” said Regalado Baldonado, WW II veteran and Commissioner of San Francisco for Veterans Affairs.

Baldonado adds, “It hurts us to see our countrymen and our families suffer because they have been deprived of services and projects that could have been delivered had politicians not chose to profit from the pork barrel.” “Enough!”

ABOLISH THE PORK!

Other groups will rally and send delegation to DC, Honolulu, and New York. USAP will deliver demand letter that includes:

1.The abolition of the pork barrel system in the euphemism of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the source of graft and corruption in the government used for political patronage and not for the benefit of the people,
2. The transfer of abolished PDAF to government budget for basic services like education, roads, health, and reforestation, but not debt servicing.
3. Punishing all grafters in the governments and those who were found guilty of malversation of public funds and ostentatious living out of PDAF.
4. Sequestration of all properties of corrupt officials and grafters like Janet Napoles.
5. Calling on President Aquino to divest himself of his own PDAF and set a good example.

JOIN THE AUG 25 RALLY/VIGIL/ WEAR WHITE!

MAKIBAKA, HUWAG MAGPABABOY!

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