{"id":774512,"date":"2026-07-02T02:05:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T02:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/774512\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T02:05:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T02:05:03","slug":"filipino-youth-hold-protest-in-ottawa-to-denounce-the-visit-of-the-president-of-the-philippines-to-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/774512\/","title":{"rendered":"Filipino youth hold protest in Ottawa to denounce the visit of the president of the Philippines to Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo: Protest outside the Embassy of the Philippines in Ottawa. The banner in white says: \u201cMarcos Jr #1 Lackey, Corrupt, Fascist, Seller of the People\u2019s Wealth!\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday June 26, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney announced<\/a> that the president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., would be visiting Vancouver, British Columbia from Wednesday July 1 to Saturday July 4, 2026.<\/p>\n

The Globe and Mail has reported<\/a>: \u201cMr. Marcos is leading a delegation of as many as five cabinet ministers as well as a business delegation of 15 to 20 people, according to Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga, the Philippines\u2019 ambassador to Canada. \u2026Mr. Chan-Gonzaga said he anticipates liquefied natural gas and oil will be part of the discussion with Canada as his country tries to secure new sources of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Agreements to be signed<\/p>\n

The Globe and Mail article further notes: \u201cThe Business Council of Canada and the Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry are also expected to sign an MOU to deepen commercial ties during Mr. Marcos\u2019 visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Manila Times has also reported<\/a>: \u201cPalace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos would witness the signing of agreements on energy, natural resources, trade and investment, labor and immigration, tourism, culture and arts during his visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

And the Philippines-based GMA News has noted<\/a>: \u201cThe President said he expects the discussions to produce a broad framework for a bilateral Plan of Action, which will guide future cooperation and further elevate Philippines-Canada relations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Protests against Marcos Jr.<\/p>\n

Anakbayan Canada has posted on social media<\/a> that there would be protests in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa.<\/p>\n

They further note<\/a>: \u201cAs Filipino youth, we will put Marcos Jr.\u2019s on notice, and that every step of his visit will be met with protest to hold him accountable with his corruption that has plagued our country and to amplify the voices of overseas Filipinos.\u201d<\/p>\n

And in their outreach for the protest in Ottawa, the Ottawa Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines stated<\/a>: \u201cWho is this visit for? The defence contractors and militarists who profit from the Filipino people\u2019s lack of sovereignty. The mining corporations that extract the Philippines\u2019 wealth at gunpoint, using paramilitaries and bribes and leaving behind ruined land. The undemocratic Marcos Regime, which steals public money shamelessly, arresting and killing activists who call attention to his crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Radyo Migrante now reports via Instagram<\/a>: \u201cProgressive groups, human rights organizations, allies and community members gather in Ottawa to denounce Philippine President Marcos Jr\u2019s visit to Canada and to hold him accountable for his crimes against humanity, including records of violations of International Humanitarian Law in the Philippines. Labeled as \u2018King of Corruption,\u2019 they emphasize Marcos Jr.s\u2019 role in the government\u2019s massive corruption scandal, the ghost flood control projects. Concerned Canadians also joined the protest to express their concern regarding the newly signed military agreements between Philippines and Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n

Human rights violations<\/p>\n

Less than two weeks ago, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders released a report<\/a> that found \u201crepressive counter-terrorism laws and counter-insurgency policies have been used to attack and criminalize land and environmental rights defenders, human rights lawyers, journalists, trade unionists, and women human rights defenders, including those from Indigenous Peoples\u2019 communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the media release for that report, Shahindha Ismail, the Secretary-General of the Paris, France-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)\u00a0commented<\/a>: \u201cPresident Marcos Jr.\u2019s failure to dismantle his predecessor\u2019s apparatus of repression and to foster accountability for human rights violations means that human rights defenders are still not safe in the Philippines.\u201d<\/p>\n

We continue to follow this.<\/p>\n

Additional reading: Filipino president to visit Canada, plans to deepen military cooperation as attacks against human rights defenders continue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Photos from protest in Ottawa; July 1, 2026<\/p>\n

The protest began on the steps just south of the US Embassy in downtown Ottawa, then made its way a short distance along Sussex Drive to the Embassy of the Philippines at 30 Murray Street. The protest took place in the afternoon that saw +44\u00b0Celsius heat then up to 100 millimetres of rain.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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