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Bayan protest at US Embassy supports Duterte’s ‘independent foreign policy’

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PROGRESSIVE groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) marched to the US Embassy last September 16 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Philippine Senate’s rejection of the extension of the Philippine-United States of America Military Bases Agreement and to support “President Rodrigo Duterte’s independent foreign policy.”

The protest celebrated the 1991 rejection by 12 senators of the agreement despite great pressure exerted by then President Corazon Aquino to the Senate to extend the treaty.

The activists also condemned the current Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which they say allow American troops to treat the Philippine as their “playground.”

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr said the VFA and EDCA  signed by the US and subsequent Philippine administrations allow offending US troops to escape punishment for their criminal activities in the Philippines.

The Manila District of the Philippine National Police tried to prevent the protesters from reaching Roxas Boulevard but were outwitted when the march split in two and rushed past the hastily assembled police line.

‘No longer a colony’

Duterte had previously emphasized his government’s pursuit of an independent foreign policy from the US.

He recently called out US President Barack Obama on the latter’s reported intention to bring up the issue of human rights violations at their planned meeting in Laos last week.

Duterte also called on US troops to leave Mindanao.

He said he will not allow the US to further meddle into the country’s political and military affairs as it has yet to acknowledge and apologize for atrocities in Mindanao.

Duterte mentioned the massacres of Moros at Bud Dajo and Bud Bagsak during the US occupation of the Philippines which killed thousands of civilians.

Beyond words

Bayan challenged Duterte to take the matter of foreign policy beyond words.

“We support Duterte’s call for the withdrawal of US troops from Mindanao. However, he must go further if he truly wants to pursue an independent foreign policy,” Reyes said.

The group issued a list of demands for a Philippine independent foreign policy, namely:

  • Overturn laws and agreements allowing US troops to stay in the Philippines, specifically the EDCA signed by Benigno Aquino III;
  • End joint military exercises with the US;
  • Stop the country’s dependence on second-hand but expensive military equipment from the US;
  • Probe US’s role in the botched Mamasapano incident in 2015 that resulted in the death of 44 Filipino Special Action Force members;
  • Assert Philippine sovereignty against any US intervention; and
  • Denouncing American-led wars of intervention. # (Report by AL Ayroso / Featured image by Divine C. Miranda)

 

Bayan explains need for independent foreign policy

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As it commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Senate vote rejecting an extension of the US-Philippine Military Bases Treaty, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan expressed support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration that foreign soldiers must leave Mindanao.

Watch highlights of today’s protest action at the US Embassy.

Read more

Protest greets Kerry visit

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PROGRESSIVE groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) took to the streets of Manila last July 27 to protest United States Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the Philippines.

Kerry is in the Philippines to dialogue with president Rodrigo Duterte on Philippine international relations, specifically on its ongoing dispute with China over the South China Sea.

The activists, however, said that Kerry’s visit is an attempt to make Duterte dependent on the US as his predecessors. Read more

Progressives express outrage over SC EDCA ruling

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PROGRESSIVE organizations held a rally in front of the United States Embassy in Manila last July 26 to protest the final Supreme Court ruling declaring the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the US and the Philippines legal.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan’s Renato Reyes said that EDCA is an unjust agreement that is only advantageous to the US. Read more

Progressives denounce SC decision on EDCA

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Progressive organizations denounced the Supreme Court decision declaring the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) constitutional in a rally in front of the United States Embassy last January 14.

The protesters maintain that the US-Philippine EDCA violates Philippine sovereignty by giving basing rights to foreign military, more so that the Philippine Senate has disapproved of the “treaty”.

Petitioners against the EDCA are set to file a motion of reconsideration to the High Tribunal very soon.

Bayan: Send Pemberton to Bilibid

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Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and other patriotic organisations held a protest rally in front of Camp Aguinaldo last December 4 to condemn what they believe is preferential treatment to convicted killer US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.

According to Aaron Bonette, chairperson of the LGBTQ organisation Bahaghari, Philippine President Benigno Aquino killed Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude for agreeing to a special facility for the US soldier instead of a national Filipino prison as originally ordered by the trial court that convicted him.

The US refused to turn over to Philippine authorities after his conviction last December 1 and instead insisted that Pemberton be brought back to the military camp where it has its own facilities.

Both Philippine and US governments are reported to be jointly building a new jail for Pemberton in accordance with Visiting Forces Agreement provisions.

Patriotic organisations however say that the move is not only unjust to the victim but is in fact another violation of Philippine sovereignty by the US government.

The protest rally also called on the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreementbetween the US and Philippine governments. #

US Marine found guilty of killing Filipino transgender

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Militant organizations cheered as the Olongapo Regional Trial Court found US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott guilty of homicide for killing Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude.

Led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, they held a vigil rally last December 1 as the promulgation of the judgement was ongoing.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr said that the Filipino people should remain vigilant on where the convict would be jailed.

Their fears were proven correct soon after as the Philippine government agreed to returning Pemberton to the US-controlled facility Joint US Military Advisory Group compound inside Camp Aguinaldo.

This move violated the court’s order that Pemberton should first be committed to a Philippine jail facility such as the National Bilibid Prisons pending formal agreements on where the convict should serve the rest of his jail term.

Protest vs China’s incursions

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Asserting the people’s independent foreign policy, mass organizations from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and the Philippines chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS-Phils) marched towards the Chinese embassy and held a picket to protest China’s incursions into the West Philippine Sea and US imperialist transgressions on Philippine sovereignty. Among the speakers were Renato Reyes of BAYAN and Elmer Labog of the ILPS-Phils.