SAN FRANCISCO AND NEW YORK—In rallies on both coasts of the nation, Filipino-American activists condemned Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s final State of the Nation Address (SONA) for sidestepping the issue of human rights violations. 

Arroyo is receiving renewed attacks on her human rights record in the wake of allegations by U.S. citizen Melissa Roxas that the Philippine military kidnapped and tortured her.

At a rally in San Francisco, Secretary-General of Bayan-USA Rhonda Ramiro said that President Arroyo is trying to “distance herself” from human rights violations because the president “knows it is incriminating for her.” 

Ramiro added, “there's ample evidence that the Philippine military is committing human rights atrocities to silence critics of the Arroyo regime.”

In New York, protesters called Arroyo’s SONA “disgusting,” and full of “lies.” 

Sister Mary John Mananzan, the nun who protected Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, the whistleblower of Arroyo’s ZTE Broadband scandal, joined the protesters, saying she is encouraged to see young Fil-Ams taking part.

“Excited ako, at saka I'm so happy kasi mga bata sila eh. Sa akin, kung mga bata ang nagga-ganito [protesting], may pag-asa pa ang Pilipinas,” Sister Mananzan told the crowd.

The protesters demand accountability from Arroyo for the Melissa Roxas kidnapping. 

Roxas is in the Philippines to sue the government.  Roxas also filed an urgent appeal and allegation against the Philippine government to the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on Torture.  The appeal asks the U.N. to conduct an impartial investigation into Roxas’ allegations of torture.

The protesters also want President Barack Obama to put pressure on Arroyo to put a stop to human rights violations. 

The two presidents will meet for the first time in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, while the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives debate over next year’s military aid package to the Philippines.

“They're sending about $30 million in military aid to the Philippines, and a lot of that money could be used here locally,” said Jessica Antonio, a Chair of the League of Filipino Students.