The International Women's Alliance denounces the acts of the Marcos Government in the Philippines to issue arrest warrants against Jacq Ruiz, Spokesperson of Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan (KMK), and Jerome Adonis, chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU). The warrants claim that Ruiz and Adonis violated Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code in connection with this year’s Labor Day protest, but these fabricated charges and warrants only expose the US-Marcos regime’s fear of the militant labor and women’s movement being built in the Philippines.

The U.S. state, not just in this case but also seen in many cases of trafficking and sexual violence, will always fail to protect women and children. The U.S. has a long legacy of committing genocide, kidnapping, and trafficking oppressed peoples. This collusion of the ruling elite, is a symptom of imperialist crisis and can be linked to the fascist offensive we see unfolding against the people today.

Epstein and his clique are not just responsible for sexual exploitation and trafficking but also the labor trafficking of migrant workers including Filipinos as domestic workers. He utilized predatory recruiters to ensure his island and vacation homes were staffed with migrants from the Global South that were dependent on wages to support their families in their home countries. The migrant workers that Epstein employed from the Philippines and other poor nations were also deceived, silenced, and subject to dangerous, degrading, and compromising situations in which they were stripped of autonomy and their livelihoods constantly threatened.