Filipinos in Japan Protest Midnight Bidding of Philippine patrimonies

Angered by the attempt to bid another Philippine patrimony in Japan again without a national referendum as provided by the Supreme Court ruling of 1991, members of the Filipino community representing various sectors of overseas Filipinos in Japan, barricaded the Philippine ambassador's residence on Sunday, November 8 for two hours from 4 pm.

The crowd swelled before the group dispersed and shouted slogans such as "NO TO BOT OF THE FUJIMI PROPERTY," and "FUJIMI PROERTY BIDDERS BEWARE: FILIPINOS CAN SUE YOU IN COURT TOGETHER WITH THE MALACANANG DC!"

The group now calls those undertaking these bids as "Malacanang DC" after a group of young Filipino robbers and thieves in Japan who call their gangs, "DC823," etc. DC is short for "Dorobo Clan" or clan of robbers and thieves.

The protest emphasized Gloria M. Arroyo's and company's evident lack of any sense of history with even Japanese nationals themselves urging the Filipinos to protest against the plan to destroy the ambassador's residence that is considered now a cultural and historical heritage.

The building was in fact built in the 30's after the great Tokyo earthquake of 1923 that flattened the city, and historical houses like that of a former Baron who was close to the Imperial Family and lived in the premises of the Imperial Palace.

The house was rebuilt in 1935 with the same foundations of the old mini-castle of Baron Yasuda, the ancestor of John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, who has expressed her opposition to any plan to destroy her ancestral home to the Philippine president when she first tried to use the proceeds of the planned BOT of the property in 2004 reportedly for her election campaign then.

In 1944, when Laurel escaped with the Japanese Imperial Army after collaborating with the invaders, he bought the property from the Yasudas, who owned other properties in other parts of Japan. The property was sequestered by the US occupation forces when Laurel was tried for treason and given to the Philippine government when the US granted the Philippines its independence.

Since then, the property has been used as residence of Philippine ambassadors to Japan, who have been the envy of other Asian ambassadors who do not have such exotic facility as their countries are not as fortunate as to have 5 properties given through Japanese war reparations that are even located in various parts of Tokyo and Kobe.

The first attempt to get rid of the Philippine patrimonies that a group calling themselves "SAVE PHILIPPINE PATRIMONIES IN JAPAN" was in 1989 when the Aquino government tried to sell all the properties in Japan allegedly for Philippine economic recovery and then for better implementation of land reform that the Filipinos in the Philippines and Japan found ridiculous because the properties were located overseas. It was then that the group was established and connected with equally concerned lawmakers who worked with them for the passage of the special Supreme Court ruling barring any attempt to bid, sell, etc. the patrimonies in Japan and elsewhere without the consent of ALL Filipinos through a national referendum.

To the members of the Filipino community in Japan, these devious plans of any administration to dispose of patrimonies in Japan should be condemned and considered illegal. To stop these attempts by sitting presidents, the group now plans to sue the Philippine government in both Japanese and Philippine courts.

The Fujimi property that is now being bided by the Arroyo government is located right next to the famous Yasukuni Shrine, where Japan's WWII heroes are enshrined. The Philippine property is part of the patrimonies in Japan that the Filipinos should protect and save as symbols of Filipino valor, honor and dignity.

We ask not just Filipinos in Japan but also Filipinos in the Philippines and all parts of the world where there are concentration of Filipino workers, et al to join us in our crusade.

STOP THE STEALING OF PHILIPPINE PATRIMONIES IN JAPAN!!!