Pinoys urged to protest peacefully as NYPD girds for 'No King' rallies
Officers of the New York Police District (NYPD) stand guard as protesters rally against immigration policies of US President Donald Trump in New York City. DAVE LLAVANES JR.
NEW YORK — The Philippine Consulate in New York has reminded Filipinos who plan to participate in mass protests to strictly follow guidelines that will be enforced by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The "No King" protest, which will be held in various locations across America, is part of the ongoing demonstrations against the large-scale immigration crackdown under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
According to Consul General Senen Mangalile, freedom of speech is a fundamental part of democracy, but there are laws that must be observed.
"Everyone is free to express their views, but this must be done in a way that does not violate any law or legal order. Extra caution should be exercised, and at no time should anyone engage in violence or acts that could be considered a crime," Mangalile said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. has also called on Filipinos planning to join protest actions to exercise restraint and remain peaceful.
In a statement issued ahead of protest activities scheduled for June 14, the embassy acknowledged the First Amendment rights guaranteed by the US Constitution, particularly the right to freedom of speech and assembly.
"The Embassy respects these constitutional rights and hopes that any planned protests will be conducted peacefully and orderly," the Philippine Public Diplomacy section told GMA Integrated News.
Similar protests are expected to be held in various parts of the U.S., just days before the birthday of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Law and order
The New York Police Department is expecting a large turnout at the protest, which is why thousands of officers will be deployed to Bryant Park, one of Midtown Manhattan's tourist spots, where protesters will initially gather.
In a press briefing earlier, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that a joint operations center would be activated starting Saturday morning in view of the rallies.
"Our executives will be monitoring the protests throughout the day and will be ready to move resources as needed at a moment's notice. Our Joint Operations Center will be activated starting Saturday morning, where we will work in close coordination with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and other state, local, and federal partners. I have been personally speaking with federal law enforcement leadership over the course of the last week, and I will continue to do so," Tisch said.
While the NYPD will enforce maximum tolerance, they warned those planning violent acts that they will be arrested and jailed.
"For those who seek to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights tomorrow, we are ready to help you do just that. For those who intend to commit crimes—who are coming here to incite violence, to cause property damage, to attack our cops—you will be met with the full strength and determination of the greatest police department in the world. And for those of you peacefully protesting who see others engaged in unlawful activity, my message is clear: Do not join them. Do not turn your exercise of cherished First Amendment rights into criminal conduct, because my orders are clear: If individuals at the protest tomorrow are committing crimes, they will be arrested, and those orders are going to be followed," Tisch added.
Similar protests are expected to be held in various parts of America, just days before Trump's birthday. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
14 hours ago
- GMA Network
PH Embassy in Israel preparing contingency plans amid airstrikes
The Philippine Embassy in Israel has convened its crisis management team, bringing together key embassy officials and representatives from the Migrant Workers Office of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), to review contingency measures as deadly airstrikes send jitters in the country and across the region. Ambassador Aileen Mendiola-Rau confirmed that previously identified shelters for Filipinos have been reactivated and essential goods have been pre-positioned across various locations in Israel. "[We convened] to review the contingency plan. Tapos tignan 'yung current situation kung anong nangyayari. Doon sa meeting namin kahapon, we discussed 'yung purchasing once again ng mga essential goods na puwede i-preposition sa mga iba-ibang locations natin dito sa Israel," Mendiola-Rau said. (We are reviewing the contingency plan and the current situation. We'll see what will happen. In our meeting yesterday, we discussed again the purchase of essential goods that we can pre-position at different locations here in Israel.) She added, "Chineck din natin status ng mga shelters, 'yung mga ginamit din natin the last time, no? Nu'ng nandito ka. So, nire-renew natin yung mga usap, 'yung mga arrangements natin doon sa mga shelters na 'yun para 'pag gumrabe pa 'yung sitwasyon, our people have somewhere to go." (The status of shelters that we used last time was also checked. We renewed talks and arrangements for those shelters so that if the situation worsens, our people have somewhere to go.) Residents in Israel, including Filipinos, are witnessing relentless airstrikes and rocket alerts, with security apps frequently updating them on the situation. "Ang nai-encounter natin ngayon since yesterday, barrage of missiles, walang humpay eh, sa iba-ibang parts sa iba-ibang parts ng Israel," Mendiola-Rau stated. (Since yesterday, we have encountered a barrage of missiles that seem relentless. These hit different parts of Israel.) LIST: DMW shares hotlines amid Israel-Iran tensions More than 50,000 Filipinos either work or reside in Israel, many of whom are accustomed to conflict situations. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) told reporters at a Saturday press conference in Quezon City that the figure is at 20,000 Filipinos in Israel, 13,000 of whom are documented and 6,000 are undocumented. DMW offices across the Middle East were placed under heightened alert due to the Israel-Iran conflict. As of posting time, no Filipino casualties have been reported. Although a mandatory evacuation order has yet to be issued, nine OFWs have already contacted the embassy, expressing their desire for repatriation according to the Philippine Embassy. However, both Israeli and Jordanian airspace remained closed, halting outbound flights. The embassy is now exploring alternative evacuation routes. "We're checking 'yung mga possibilities kung paano ma-repatriate ang mga kababayan natin. Kasi ang airspace ngayon ng Israel at ng Jordan, closed eh. So walang aircrafts na puwede mag-take off... So we're looking at other possibilities in case na lumala pa 'yung sitwasyon. We're doing, we're coming up with plans to bring our people out. Not by air but probably by land towards Jordan or towards Egypt. Tapos siyempre, ico-consider natin din 'yung repatriation by sea," she said. (We're checking possibilities on how to repatriate our countrymen. The airspace over Israel and Jordan is closed. No aircraft can take off... So, we're looking at other possibilities in case the situation worsens. We're doing, we're coming up with plans to bring our people out. Not by air but probably by land towards Jordan or towards Egypt. Of course, we are considering repatriation by sea.) The Philippine Embassy has urged Filipinos in Israel to strictly follow government-issued safety protocols, including avoiding outdoor movement, refraining from gatherings like Sunday Mass, and immediately heading to bomb shelters upon receiving alerts or hearing rocket sirens. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
20 hours ago
- GMA Network
Filipino seafarers invest in the Philippines. They shouldn't be punished for it.
In mid-2020, Philippine media reported the arrival of a flight carrying the remains of 49 Filipino migrant workers who had died from COVID-19. State officials had spent months finding ways to have their bodies returned home. In his statement to reporters, then-Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III was noticeably sombre, 'It's very painful to welcome dead heroes who served their families and country well,' he said. When I shared this story to Nilo, a cruise worker who lost his job during the pandemic, he wondered if he, too, should have returned to the Philippines dead, instead of alive and unemployed. Unlike those who had died overseas, no one considered him a 'hero.' 'We're more like those soldiers who went off to war, got wounded, then were sent home,' he scoffed. 'You served the nation, but now, you're no use to anyone because you lost your leg and can't even walk.' Nilo's response reflects the struggles that Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) face when forced to return home. While the Philippines celebrates migrants for their contributions, we often fail to recognize their worth beyond their remittances. Still, I found the bitterness in Nilo's statement concerning. While all migrant workers contribute to the Philippine economy, seafarers, I would argue, are among the most committed to the nation. Yet, it is clear that they do not have the support they need within their own country. A career prone to disruption When Filipino seafarers set sail, they're not just chasing higher wages. They're investing in a life back home. Working in an oil tanker or a luxury cruise ship does not open doors to long-term residency or citizenship elsewhere. Unlike nurses and teachers, sea-based careers run on short-term contracts, roughly 4 to 10 months at a time. And unlike domestic workers, seafarers return home more frequently, cycling between the Philippines and their work at sea. As such, their dreams are mostly anchored within the country: a small business, a new house, or a good education for their children. It is true that seafaring pays higher wages than many jobs in the Philippines, but this profession is also vulnerable to disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic was a stark reminder of how little support there is in helping them weather such crises. As a sociologist, I followed the experiences of Filipino service staff employed in the global cruise industry. The cruise workers I interviewed were retrenched during the pandemic and only returned to their jobs two years later, heavily in debt and working to stay afloat. Like other Filipinos, they struggled with the sudden loss of income. But, I found that the main cause of their financial distress was the very investments that were supposed to secure their futures. Risky investments When the travel industry shut down, cruise workers turned to home businesses and part-time work to get by. While they managed to cover their daily expenses, their biggest expenses were insurance premiums and monthly payments on land, property, and cars. Philippine government officials had promoted these investments as a 'smart' way to maximize migrant remittances, and cruise workers readily bought into these ventures. Few were warned that these investments relied on regular payments and there were no concessions for unforeseen disruptions. In the first few months of the pandemic, cruise workers tried to keep up with these fees, dipping into hard-earned savings and borrowing money from friends. A year later, they were defaulting on monthly payments, selling their things, and for many, letting banks repossess their property. Glaiza, a massage therapist in her ship's spa, lost a house that she had been paying for the last four years. 'Sumama talaga loob ko (I felt bad),' she lamented. 'Hindi ko naman kasalanan nawalan kami ng trabaho! (It wasn't my fault that I lost my job.)' While it is easy to point the blame at migrants' lack of financial literacy, perhaps what we should consider is how the smart investments we encourage seafarers to consider were what put them in debt. Nasaan ang programa namin? One might argue that Philippine government agencies did have programs specifically directed at seafarers. However, available grants were overwhelmingly focused on entrepreneurship and livelihood projects. While a benefit to some, most cruise workers were intimidated by the multiple requirements for training and business plans. Already stressed over their own bills, the idea of embarking on a new business venture seemed impractical. Rather than new investment 'opportunities,' cyclical migrants like cruise workers need a stronger safety net in times of disruption. Life insurance may help cope with an untimely death, but it doesn't address the issues that come with sudden retrenchment or a canceled contract. During the pandemic, cruise workers saw unemployment benefits from Philippines' Social Security System as much more helpful compared to small business grants. While these benefits came in small amounts, they addressed workers' immediate needs. The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented in many ways, but the hardships that Filipino seafarers faced reflect a bigger, ongoing problem: the lack of meaningful protections and support for migrant workers who are invested in the nation. Yasmin Y. Ortiga is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Singapore Management University. Excerpts from this column are taken from her latest book, "Stuck at Home: Pandemic Immobilities in the Nation of Emigration" (Stanford University Press).
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Trump reports hundreds of millions of dollars from crypto, golf, licensing fees
US President Donald Trump participates in an Invest America Roundtable in the State Dining room, at the White House, in Washington D.C., June 9, 2025. REUTERS/ Evelyn Hockstein US President Donald Trump reported hundreds of millions of dollars in income from crypto, golf clubs and licensing ventures in a public financial disclosure report released on Friday that provided a glimpse of the vast business holdings of America's billionaire president. The annual financial disclosure form, which appeared to cover the 2024 calendar year, shows the president's push into crypto added substantially to his wealth but he also reported large fees from developments and revenues from his other businesses. While Trump has said he has put his businesses into a trust managed by his children, the disclosures show how income from them still ultimately accrue to the president — something that has opened him to conflicts of interest. Some of his businesses in areas such as crypto, for example, benefit from US policy shifts under him and have become a source of criticism. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The financial disclosure was signed on June 13 and did not state the time period it covered. The details of the cryptocurrency listings, as well as other information in the disclosure, suggest it was through the end of December 2024, which would exclude most of the money raised by the family's cryptocurrency ventures. Given the speed at which the Trump family has made deals during his ascent to the presidency, the filing is already a time capsule of sorts, capturing a period when they were just starting to get into crypto but were largely still in the world of real estate deals and golf clubs. A meme coin released earlier this year by the president – $TRUMP – alone has earned an estimated $320 million in fees, though it's not publicly known how that amount has been divided between a Trump-controlled entity and its partners. In addition to the meme coin fees, the Trump family has raked in more than $400 million from World Liberty Financial, a decentralized finance company. The Trump family is involved, also, with a bitcoin mining operation and digital asset exchange-traded funds. In the disclosures, Trump reported $57.35 million from token sales at World Liberty. He also reported holding 15.75 billion governance tokens in the venture. The wealth of the Republican businessman-turned-politician ranges from crypto to real estate, and a large part on paper is tied up in his stake in Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of social media platform Truth Social. The disclosure showed income from various assets including Trump's properties in Florida. Trump's three golf-focused resorts in the state – Jupiter, Doral and West Palm Beach – plus his nearby private members' club at Mar-a-Lago generated at least $217.7 million in income, according to the filing. The disclosure also listed income of $5 million in license fees from a development in Vietnam. Trump collected royalty money, also, from a variety of deals – $1.3 million from the Greenwood Bible (its website describes it as "the only Bible officially endorsed by Lee Greenwood and President Trump"); $2.8 million from Trump Watches, and $2.5 million from Trump Sneakers and Fragrances. Trump listed $1.16 million in income from his NFTs – digital trading cards in his likeness while First Lady Melania Trump earned around $216,700 from license fees her own NFT collection. —Reuters
