(C)

FREDERICK B. QUINENE

IGNOMINY

AMERICA ARE YOU THE CHAMPION

OF ALL MEN WHO ARE OPPRESSED

SO WHY HAVE OUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS
TO THIS DAY ILAVE STILL NOT ADDRESSED?

WILAT IRONY DOES BEFALL US

THAT THOUGH GUAM IS OF THE USA

WE ARE NOT YET FULL CITIZENS

AND STILL FEEL ALIENATED TO THIS DAY?

YES WE HAVE THE ORGANIC ACT

BUT IT IS AN ACT NOT OF OUR CHOICE
NOW WE ARE ASKING FOR COMMONWEALTH
BUT THE FEDS STILL NOT HEAR OUR VOICE.

GUAM HAS SENT A DRAFT ACT TO CONGRESS

AN ACT THAT EXPRESSED THE GUAMANIAN'S WILL
THE FEDS SAY IT'S NOT PROPER

WE PRAY IT WILL NOT BE VOLATILE

GUAM ASKS WHEN IT WILL THE GUAMANIANS

BE ALLOWED TO SET THEIR DESTINY

TO MANIFEST THEIR DEEPEST DESIRE

AND FRASE FROM THEMSELVES THEIR IGNOMINY

ARE GUAMANIANS FOREVER GOING TO BE

ONLY LACKEYS OF THE USA

FOREVER DOING WHAT THE FEDS WANT

AND NOT DOING THINGS THE GUAM WAY?

GUAM NEEDS MORE THAN MATERIAL GOODS

GUAM NEEDS FOR HER MIND TO BE FREE

GUAMANIANS NEED TO BE SHOWN MORE RESPECT

AND GIVEN TRUE EQUALITY

GRANT US, DEAR AMERICA

OUR QUEST FOR SELF-DETERMINATION

RECOGNIZE THE GUAMANIANS AS A PEOPLE

MAKE US A TRUE PART OF THE NATION

QUEST FOR COMMONWEALTH

WHAT IS THE REAL RELATIONSHIP
OF GUAM TO THE U.S. OF A?
NO MATTER WHAT IS REALLY SAID
GUAM IS STILL A COLONY TODAY.

GUAM HAS REMAINED ALL THESE YEARS NOTHING BUT THE SPOILS OF WAR, HER SEEKING GREATER SELF RULE IS NOT UNLIKE REACHING FOR A STAR

YEARS AGO CONGRESS HAD DECLARED WHEN GUAM IS READY SHE WILL NOD, AND GUAM WILL BE SELF GOVERNED OR WAS THAT ONLY A FACADE?

WHERE THOSE INTENTION UNCLE SAM ONLY "PROMISES EPHEMERAL",

FOR GRANTING GUAM SELF GOVERNMENT ARE ONLY INTENDS FAR FROM REAL?

WILL YOUR PROMISES BECOME TRUE
OR IS IT JUST AN ANOMALY?
WILL GUAM ALWAYS BE SUBSERVIENT
AND THEIR QUEST BE ONLY FOLLY?

TO THIS DAY CONGRESS STILL REFERS TO GUAM AS HER POSSESSION, ISN'T IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO OWN PEOPLE NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON?

PLEASE BE GENEROUS TO THIS LAND GRANT HER PEOPLE TRUE DIGNITY. CEASE YOUR ROLE OF MASTER 10 SLAVE IN TERMS OF UNCERTAINTY

THE STATUS OF COMMONWEALTH WILL
REPLACE AN ACT THAT'S OUT-DATED.
FOR TRULY THE ORGANIC ACT
IS NOW NAUGHT BUT ANTIQUATED.

THE DRAFT ACT BEING SENT TO YOU WILL SURELY BE GUAM'S GUIDE AND TOOL. THOUGHT NOT PERFECT WE ASK OF YOU THE CONCEPTS YOU WOULDN'T OVER-RULE.

SHOULDN'T YOU NOW UNCLE SAM
PROVE TO THE WORLD AGAIN,
FOR JUSTICE YOU'LL ALLOW ALL
THEIR TRUE DESIRE TO ATTAIN?

FILIPINO-AMERICAN PRESIDENTS CLUB OF GUAM

152 Halsey Drive, Rt. 6 Adelup, Guam 96922-1401
Tel: (871) 477-8190/1 Fax: (671) 472-8171

Testimony on H.R. 100, the Guam Commonwealth Draft Act

1996-1998 OFFICERS:

LINDA A. TOLAN
Chairwoman

NILDA ESTAMPADOR
Executive Secretary

ARMANDO DOMINGUEZ
Recording Secretary

DICK DIAZ
Treasurer

JAMES ROBINSON

Asst. Treasurer

JOHN M. VEGA
Auditor

PETE LORIEGA PUBIIO Relatione unicor

TAFE SANA
Peace Officer

GLICERIO NASIS
Peace Officer

PAST-CHAIRMEN

VIC QUITORIANO JOHN M. VEGA JOSEPH LAVILLE ROGER T. BABASA LEOT.EDUSADA

INCLUDE US

Mr. Chairman, Congressman Don Young, and the esteemed members of your Committee on Resources of the 105th U.S. Congress, we humbly submit our testimony to your august body and respectfully request the same to be included as part of the hearing record. We pray for you to closely consider our perspective. We realize we are not one of the lucky few officially selected to present oral testimony before you. Nevertheless, believing very strongly in the universal precepts of Democracy and having great faith in the way the United States of America practices such democratic principles, we hereby present our collective thoughts and opinions for your consideration.

We, the inhabitants of Guam who are of Filipino descent, declare that we do not fully support the Guam Commonwealth Act as presently drafted.

We have stated this same position together with the Federation of Asian People on Guam in a resolution submitted last May to members of the U.S. Congress and to President Bill Clinton via the Department of Interior (enclosed herewith).

Let us qualify the above statement. There are many positive elements in the Guam Commonwealth Draft Act which would benefit all the inhabitants residing on Guam, as well as the future generations who will live hora The provisions design. benefic vidya select few, to the exclusion of others here, we problematic. This is especially true if the reasoning behind its justification runs counter to the U.S. Civil Rights Act and the basic guarantees of the U.S. Constitution, -and even the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The provisions which violate the U.S. Constitution jeopardize the provisions which could benefit all.

It is clear then that the Quam Commonwealth Draft Act as presently drafted needs to be modified in ways to make it responsive, inclusive and equitable to all the diverse inhabitants of Guam. This will assure that the benefits and wealth it promises are commonly applicable to all inhabitants with no consequences for their ancestry. It must truly reflect what it originally set out to do. to forge a closer relationship, not a contrast with, the United States of America.