Lobbying Against the Marcos Regime in Congress

Political, military and economic support from the U.S. was critical to the sustenance of the unpopular Marcos regime. A critical role of Filipino opposition to Marcos in the United States, was to educate the American people and Congress about the corruption and brutality of the dictatorship and to stop US aid to Marcos.

CTF interacted with the US Congress on the aid process, holding briefings with members of the House sub-committee on Asia and Pacific Affairs. “We focused our demands on pressing liberal Democrats to condition aid on the release of political prisoners or general amnesty,” said CTF Director Odette Taverna (right)

KDP’s Congress Task Force (CTF) testified at Congressional hearings, visited the offices of members of Congress, provided them with updates and briefing materials, and issued joint statements with U.S. Representatives and Senators.

The task force also published a monthly newsletter, the CTF Bulletin, which provided timely analysis of critical developments in the Philippines during the dictatorship.

At the end of the regime, it became apparent that these efforts were successful as the US stood aside as the Filipino people drove the Marcos’ into exile and ended their regime.

Photo by Vince Puccio, Senate Democratic Photographer

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CTF arranged the Washington DC visit by Edicio G. dela Torre, an ordained priest in the Society of the Divine Word, to brief members of Congress about the human rights violations of the Marcos regime. Accompanying him during the briefings are, from left, FFP’s Stephanie Brown, CAMD’s Aimee Cruz, Walden Bello and Amy Besa.