Will you hear the people's cry?

September 21 marks the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law in the Philippines by dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. His greed, ambition for power, and mismanagement led to famine, poverty, and forced migration, and his own government perpetrated violent acts including killings, disappearances, torture, and arrests. Fifty years later the dictator’s son is president and is continuing the pattern of human rights violations including arresting elderly activists in their 60s and 70s, who were tortured under his father.

This past Sunday, migrant and solidarity organizations in Hong Hong came together for a citywide protest joining with the collective voices of those around the world who are also calling for justice and peace in the Philippines and for Marcos Jr. and his family to be held accountable for their crimes against the Filipino people. Ate Annabelle and Ate Dolo, the two main characters I follow in Migrant Women Rise, were actively involved in the citywide and global protests remembering the 50th anniversary of Martial Law.

As part of the Sunday actions, I had the opportunity to preach at Kowloon Union Church, my home church in Hong Kong. I shared from Psalm 79, a communal lament that speaks to historic experiences of war, violence, and displacement. It is a graphic psalm that also allows us to reflect on the kinds of violence many faced during Martial Law under Marcos Sr. and the human rights abuses many continue to experience today under the Marcos Jr.-Duterte regime. The psalm invites us to carefully listen to those distressed by war, violence, and displacement and to stand in solidarity with those suffering to seek God’s justice and peace. You can watch or listen to the sermon below. The full church service and sermon transcript are also available.

Psalm 79 Sermon (Audio version):

To support the work of migrant activists like Ate Dolo and Ate Annabelle and those seeking justice, sign the Petition to the UN General Secretary to investigate human rights violations and take action on the Philippines: tinyurl.com/ICHRP-PetitionUNGS.

If you’re interested in learning more about the current human rights issues in the Philippines, the Hong Kong Campaign for Human Rights and Peace in the Philippines (HKCAHRPP) will be hosting an online forum on October 6 at 9pm HKT, 9am EST. The event will be hosted with Karapatan: Human Rights Alliance in the Philippines. I have been working with HKCAHRPP to produce Migrant Women Rise and organize events that bring awareness to red-tagging and other human rights issues. So if you want to know about the broader context of the film, join us to hear from those working on the ground in the Philippines. [Registration]

Francis Catedral is a Filipino American documentary filmmaker and theology student. His current documentary project is Migrant Women Rise: Stories of Red-Tagged Overseas Filipino Workers.