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Balikatan 2024: Para kanino?

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Ni Nuel M. Bacarra

Lagi’t laging target ng mga mananakop na paluhurin ang Pilipinas sa dayuhang kapangyarihan. Mula sa panahon ng kolonyalistang Español na nagbunsod ng Rebolusyong Pilipino noong 1896, sumunod ang mga nagpabalik-balik na mga Amerikano na bantog sa mga masaker at gera sa umpisa pa lamang ng siglong 1900 at ng mga Hapones naman noong Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig.

Ang estratehikong lokasyon ng Pilipinas sa pandaigdigang istruktuta ng kapangyarihan (o  geopolitics) at ang taglay nitong rekurso sa kalupaan man o sa karagatan ay mga panghikayat sa mga mananakop para sa pamalagiang presensya nila para sa direkta o di-direktang pananakop sa bansa.  Hanggang ngayon, ang pagiging malakolonyal na katangian ng Pilipinas sa ilalim ng imperyalismong US ang ginagamit ng huli para tuluyang lubusin ang kontrol nito sa bansa.

Ang patuloy na paghahamon ng gera ng US sa China para igiit ang hegemonya nito ay kumakaladkad sa Pilipinas sa isang napipintong digmaan sa pagitan ng mga imperyalistang bansang ito.

Nagpakana ng “tulungan” ang US upang hinangin ang garantiya ng Pilipinas sa pang-uupat ng gera sa China bilang piyon. Nangyari ang pulong nitong Abril 11 sa Washington D.C., US kabilang ang Japan bilang katuwang ng US. Tinawag itong Trilateral Summit ng US, Japan at Pilipinas.

Magkakaanyo ang tulungang ito sa pamamagitan ng mga mapanghamong ehersisyong militar o “Balikatan”, paglalayag ng mga barkong pandigma ng iba’t ibang bansa sa exclusive economic zone (EEZ) ng Pilipinas at maging lampas pa sa teritoryal na saklaw ng bansa, ng pagtambak ng mga dayuhang armadong tropa at mga armas at kagamitang pandigma.

Ang anumang pang-ekonomyang kasunduan ng tatlong bansa tulad ng mga proyektong pang-imprastruktura gaya ng Luzon Corridor, proyektong sa teknolohiya, pagharap sa problemang pangkapaligiran at enerhiya ay nilalambungan ng tunay na layon nito na tugunin at harapin ang China na naggigiit ng soberanya nito sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) at kinakikitaan umano ng mapanganib at agresibong gawi rito. Ito ay mga proyekto na inihahanda para sa gera.

Agresibong Balikatan

Bago pa ang Trilateral Summit, pinagtibay na ng US at ni pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. noong isang taon ang Bilateral Defense Guidelines na nagpapahintulot sa US na makialam hindi lamang sa Pasipiko kundi maging sa West Philippine Sea. Pinahihintulutan din nito ang pakikialam ng US sa panloob na seguridad at depensa sa ngalan ng paglaban sa “terorismo”.

Samantala, nitong Abril 22, pormal na sinimulan ang Balikatan ng US at Pilipinas. Isa ito sa pinakamalaki sa kasaysayan ng mga ehersisyong militar na kasasangkutan ng 16,000 tropa. Kasangkot din ang 150 sundalo mula sa Australia habang paglalayagin ng Pransiya ang kanilang barkong pandigma sa loob ng EEZ ng Pilipinas habang may 14 pang bansa ang makikisangkot bilang tagamasid.

Mga sundalong Amerikano at Pilipino sa isang nakaraang Balikatan. (Larawan ng US Marine Corps.)

Sa pahayag ni Col. Michael Logico, tagpagsalita ng Balikatan 2024, kaugnay sa ehersisyong militar na tatagal hanggang Mayo 10, aniya: “Ang dahilan kaya naglulunsad tayo ng mga ehersisyo ay upang ipakita ang ating kahandaan sa labanan. Pagpapakita rin ito ng ating komprehensibong konsepto ng depensang pangkapuluan.” Dagdag pa niya, “Ginagawa natin ang mga ehersisyo sa pangunahing dahilan na magmantine ng isang mataas na antas ng kahandaan.”

Katawa-tawa ito dahil ang pinaghahandaang gera ay hindi natin laban kundi digmang isinasalaksak sa mamamayan ng among imperyalismong US na siyang may napakalaking interes na digmain ang China sa usapin ng ekonomya at panatilihin ang sarili bilang nangungunang imperyalistang superpower sa mundo. Ang sinasabing kahandaan ay isang usok na pangarap dahil ang lakas ng isang bansa sa usapin ng depensa ay nakabatay sa lakas ng lokal na ekonomya at hindi sa pag-asa sa tulong ng dayuhan. Ang lokal na ekonomya ng Pilipinas na nakabatay sa pag-angkat ng mga batayang pangangailangan kailanman ay di makapagsusustine ng gera. Isusubo ang mga sundalong Pilipino sa isang digmaang nasa kumpas ng imperyalismong US. Ang buong bansa ay magiging base militar muli ng US para sa sarili nitong interes, at hindi ng mamamayang Pilipino.

Ang kontra-insurhensyang programa ng gubyerno mismo ay bigo laban sa mga rebolusyonaryong pwersa. Bigo ang itinakdang paglansag sa mga larangang gerilya ng New People’s Army (NPA) na diumano ay dapat mangyari sa unang kwarto ng taon at durog na diumano sa katapusan ng Hunyo ang mga bertikal na pormasyon nito habang lulusawin ang lahat ng komiteng rehiyon ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas bago matapos ang taon.

Sa 39 na ehersisyong militar mula 1991, ang Philippine Coast Guard ay lalahok sa kauna-unahang Multilateral Maritime Exercise ng Balikatan. Ang Balikatan ay gaganapin sa Luzon at Palawan na katatampukan ng pagpapalubog ng barko at una rin ito sa mga ehersisyong militar na lalampas sa 12 nautical miles na teritoryal na hangganan ng Pilipinas.

Bangkaroteng patakarang panlabas

Ayon mismo sa rehimeng Marcos Jr., ang patakarang panlabas ng Pilipinas ay nangangailangan ng pagbalanse sa China at sa US. Sinasaklaw ng China ang bahagi ng West Philippine Sea (WPS) habang pabor ang rehimen sa malaya at hayag na pananaw ng US sa Indo-Pasipiko.

Kung ito ang susundan, sinusunod ng rehimen ang kapritso ng US sa pagtatayo ng mga base militar sa bansa at sa pagsasagawa ng mga ehersisyong militar para sukatin ang kakayanan ng China gamit ang Pilipinas. Mapanganib ito sa bansa dahil inilalarga ng US ang mga balak nito gamit ang ating kalupaan at karagatan na nagsasapeligro sa Pilipinas sa isang gerang di naman natin ginusto.

Sa kasalukuyang galaw ng rehimeng Marcos Jr, lantad ang kiling nito sa imperyalismong US at sa kongkretong pagdalo sa trilateral summit at sa mga nakakasang Balikatan sa bansa hindi dahil gusto nitong isabak ang bansa sa isang gera bilang piyon ng US o bilang pagsalungat sa dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na itsurang maka-Tsiina.

Nangunguyapit ang rehimeng Marcos Jr. sa US na bukod pa sa pinakamalakas na kapangyarihan ito sa mundo sa usapin ng ekonomya at militar, nais niyang iparating sa buong mundo na nalinis na ang pangalan ng mga Marcos na dating bantog sa daigdig bilang pasistang diktador at mandarambong dahil sa pagkandili sa kanya ng US.

Nilalabag din ng rehimeng Marcos Jr. ang probisyon sa Konstitusyon sa Artikulo II, Seksyon 7 kaugnay sa independyenteng patakarang panlabas na dapat binibigyang kahalagahan sa pakikipagrelasyon sa ibang estado ang pambansang soberanya, teritoryal na integridad, pambansang interes at karapatan sa pagsasarili. Ang pagbibigay-kaluwagan sa mga pagtatayo ng mga base militar ng US sa ilalim ng Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement o EDCA ay taliwas sa probisyong ito dahil walang hurisdiksyon ang Pilipinas sa mga base military o sa mga sundalong dayuhan.

Dagdag pa rito, ang mga haligi diumano ng patakarang panlabas ng Pilipinas ay ang pagpapaunlad ng pambansang seguridad, ang pagkakamit ng pang-ekonomyang seguridad at ang proteksyon sa mga karapatan, kagalingan at interes ng lahat ng Pilipino sa ibayong dagat. Hindi pagpapaunlad ng pambansang seguridad ang presensya ng sundalo ng US sa bansa na mananatili sa mga base militar ng US habang hindi interes ng mamamayan ang kagutuman, kawalang-hanapbuhay, mababang sahod, mataas na presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo na sanhi ng pagtaas din ng batayang bilihin at iba pa. Ito ang mga saligang usaping dapat kinukompronta ng rehimeng Marcos Jr.

Sa mga insidente ng pagiging agresibo ng China sa WPS kontra sa mga Pilipinong Coast Guard na ilang beses nang binomba ng tubig para itaboy at sa huling pangyayari ay mga nasugatan, lumalabas ngayon na tila may sinandalang pader ang rehimeng Marcos Jr. dahil sa Trilateral Summit ng US, Japan at Pilipinas. Ang dalawang imperyalistang kapangyarihan na dating nangolonya sa bansa ay pinapalabas na kapanalig ngayon ng Pilipinas.

Samantala, mahigit 70 kasunduan sa depensa ang naisara ng Japan sa US. Kabilang dito ang network ng missile defense system. Magsiserbisyo din ang Japan sa mga barko ng US sakaling may mga kailangang kumpunihin. Gayundin, ang mga diplomatikong kasunduan ng Japan at Pilipinas kaugnay ng magkatugong akses sa mga base militar ay dapat mapagkasunduan. Nangangahulugan ito ng papayagan ng Pilipinas ang mga pwersang militar ng Japan sa mga base militar ng Pilipinas.

Mga makabayang kabataang tutol sa presensiya ng dayuhang militar sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas. (Larawan ni N. Bacarra/Kodao)

Sa huli, sa mga ganitong kasunduan, lagi’t laging todo-bigay ang Pilipinas sa kapritso ng mga dayuhan. Pwedeng makialam ang mga dayuhan sa internal na usapin ng bansa. Sa kasaysayan ng mga base militar, hindi makatutuntong ang mga Pilipino sa mga baseng ito na nakatirik sa kalupaan natin.

Nasa estratehikong lokasyon ang pakat ng mga base militar ng US sa ating bansa. Pawang nakapakat ito laban sa China. Isusubo ng imperyalismong US ang Pilipinas bilang pambitag sa China. Imperyalistang bansa rin China na may kakayanang makipaggera at may napakalakas at matatag na ekonomya.

Ang Trilateral Summit ng US-Japan at Pilipinas kung gayon ay kapulungan ng mga imperyalista bansa sa presensya ng isang tutang estado. Wala itong pakinabang sa mamamayan, kung kaya marapat na tutulan at wakasan ng mamamayang Pilipino. #  

‘Dapat tayong maka-Pilipino’

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“Hindi pwedeng ang Pilipinas ay lumuhod sa US ngayon sa ilalim ni Marcos, matapos lumuhod si Duterte sa Tsina. Dapat ang ating gobyerno ay hindi maka-Amerikano, hindi maka-Tsino, kundi maka-Pilipino.”–ATTY. NERI COLMENARES, Bayan Muna Chairperson

Relying on bullies to de-escalate tensions

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WHY WE CANNOT RELY ON THE UNITED STATES IN DE-ESCALATING THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA TENSION:

“The US, like China, also wants to control the oil and gas resources of the South China Sea for its energy needs. We cannot rely on the US as that would be tantamount to taking out one bully, but allowing another bully to come in.”–ATTY. NERI COLMENARES, Bayan Muna Chairperson

BAYAN leads rallies vs. foreign military buildup in PH, trilateral summit in DC

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Anti-imperialist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) led a protest rally at the Chinese consulate on Tuesday, demanding foreign troops within the Philippine territory to stop militarizing the West Philippine Sea.

The group again denounced China’s incursions into Philippine maritime territories as well as repeated harassment of Filipino fisherfolk and ships in what has become an annual rally held every Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor).

“China’s bully behavior and continued aggression against its neighbors is the reason for its increasing isolation. It claims to maintain friendly relations but its provocative actions betray its real intent of dominating the whole of South China Sea even if it contravenes international rules and undermines the territorial integrity of its neighboring countries,” BAYAN said.

Day of Valor symbolizes the commitment of Filipinos to resist foreign aggressors, marking the day when the Philippines fell in the hands of the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942.

BAYAN pointed out that China also endured suffering during the Second World War, adding that its arrogance against the Philippines is a “shameful betrayal of how it fought foreign invaders in the past.”

“We call on China to move out of the West Philippine Sea, dismantle its illegal structures, recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling, and to stop harassing Filipino fisherfolk and Philippine supply missions,” it said.

BAYAN said it continues to call for the demilitarization of the West Philippine Sea, saying Philippine resistance against Chinese aggression should not lead to foreign military buildup and the “recolonization” of the Philippines through the installation of American military facilities across the country.

It also condemned the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government for turning the West Philippine Sea into a staging ground for foreign troops led by the US.

“Marcos Jr. is needlessly dragging the country into an escalation of conflict that will inflict more suffering among our people. We should not be a cannon fodder in the inter-imperialist rivalry and war between China and the US,” BAYAN said.

Police prevent anti-imperialist activists from conducting a protest rally in Manila. (Photo by N. Bacarra/Kodao)

Trilateral Summit to polarize region further

On Thursday, April 11, BAYAN also led a rally at he US Embassy in Manila, condemning the US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit to be held at the White House.

In a statement, BAYAN also said the summit in Washington DC today is pushing existing tensions to a critical level.

BAYAN accused the summit as an escalation of the “US-led imperialist economic and military warfare” that will devastate the lives of working peoples in the region and squander the people’s money away from much needed services and welfare.

Caricature images of Biden, Kishida and Marcos Jr. at an anti-imperialist rally in Manila. (Photo by N. Bacarra/Kodao)

President Marcos is attending the summit, announced as the strengthening of security ties though joint military exercises among the three nations.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is representing Japan while US President Joe Biden serves as host.

“What is obfuscated in Washington’s war propaganda is the fact that these military exercises are happening only in the Philippines with the US-Marcos regime’s increased subservience to the US through additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation (EDCA) sites or bases, and the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between Japan and the Philippines, similar to the 25-year long RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA),” BAYAN explained.

The group also recalled that both the US and Japan invaded the Philippines last century.

“We call on peace advocates and anti-imperialist formations in these three countries to play a lead role in arousing, organizing and mobilizing against US-led militarism, interventionism and aggression by mounting protest actions that expose and oppose the April 11 Trilateral Summit to be held in the White House,” BAYAN said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Makabayan solon, DND condemn Chinese envoy’s threat against OFWs in Taiwan

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A Makabayan solon and the Department of National Defense (DND) separately condemned an alleged threat made by Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian against Filipinos in Taiwan.

House of Representative Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party Rep. France Castro said Huang’s statement is a threat and an imposition on a sovereign country.

“It is condemnable that China seems to be issuing a threat not just against the Philippines as a country but to innocent overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were obligated to work abroad to create better lives for their families,” Castro said in a statement Saturday, April 15.

In a public speech Friday, the Chinese envoy said, the “Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose Taiwan independence rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs.”

“The Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair, as is the Mindanao issue to the Philippines. You will never allow any third party to meddle with resolving rebel issues in Mindanao,” Huang said.

This did not sit well with the progressive solon who said Huang’s statement must be condemned.

The DND in a separate statement took exception to Huang’s assertion the Philippines is “meddling” in Chinese internal affairs concerning Taiwan.

DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said the Philippines’ primary concern regarding the heated situation between China and Taiwan are the expatriate Filipinos in the island.

Pique at new EDCA sites

While it appears to directly threaten Filipino workers in Taiwan, Huang’s speech was in fact obviously directed at the Philippine government’s decision to open four new military sites the for United States military to be closer to China.

“Obviously, the US intends to take advantage of the new EDCA sites to interfere in the situation across the Taiwan strait to serve its geopolitical goals, and advance its anti-China agenda at the expense of peace and development of the Philippines and the region at large,” Huang said.

The Chinese Ambassador also likened the situation in Taiwan to Mindanao, implying that China does not meddle with Moro independence struggles in Southern Philippines. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Protesta sa Araw ng Kalayaan upang ipaglaban ang West Philippine Sea laban sa agresyon ng China

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Ipinagdiwang ng mga progresibong grupo sa pangunguna ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan ang ika-123 anibersaryo ng deklarasyon ng kalayaan ng Pilipinas mula sa Espanya sa pamamagitan ng isang kilos protesta sa harapan ng konsulada ng Tsina sa Makati city noong Sabado, Hunyo12. Tinutulan nila ang anila’y kapabayaan ng gubyernong Rodrigo Duterte sa West Philippine Sea at pang-uupat ng Tsina sa mga mangingisdang Pilipino sa loob ng Exclusive Economic Zone ng bansa. (Bidyo nina Jek Alcaraz at Joseph Cuevas. Editing ni Jek Alcaraz)

San Beda alumni criticize Duterte’s ‘defeatist’ stance on WPS

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Rodrigo Duterte’s fellow San Beda University (SBU) alumni criticized the President’s statements belittling the nation’s victory in the international arbitral tribunal on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In a statement Sunday evening, an informal group of SBU alumni called on Duterte to uphold the Philippine Constitution by retracting his “defeatist” statements on China’s occupation of internationally-recognized Philippine islands at the WPS.

 “When a part of our country’s territory is taken against our will by the People’s Republic of China and our countrymen, particularly the fishermen, are threatened with force from exclusively enjoying our nation’s marine resources, the President is solemnly bound to uphold, defend and protect his countrymen and the integrity of our national territory,” the statement said.

Signed by former SBU student leaders, the statement is the first ever statement issued by Duterte’s fellow Bedans critical of the President.

The statement, also posted on online petition platform change.org called on the President to:

• Retract his public statement that China is in possession of the West Philippine Sea;

• Retract his declaration that the Arbitral Award “is a mere scrap of paper, and should be thrown in the wastebasket” in order that it will not be used as an admission against the interests of the Philippines; and to

• Categorically, demonstrably and publicly uphold the mandate of our Philippine Constitution that: “The State shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.”(Art XII, Sec. 2).

President Duterte’s fellow Bedans ask him to uphold the Philippine Constitution.

The statement, which was uploaded on the social networking site Facebook and on public advocacy platform Change.org, continues to gain signatories from San Beda alumni.

In his recent late night addresses to the nation, Duterte repeatedly justified the presence of Chinese boats within the Philippine exclusive economic zone near Palawan province.

Duterte said the international tribunal’s upholding Philippine rights on the West Philippine Sea is merely a piece of paper he could throw in a wastebasket.

He also said his earlier promises to personally stake Philippine claims to the territory were mere campaign jokes.

Senator Leila de Lima, Makabayan President Neri Colmenares and former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson and bar examinations topnotcher Winston Ginez were among those who signed the statement.

Former presidents and officers of the SBU College of Arts and Sciences Student Council, former editors of college student newspaper The Bedan, as well as former presidents of national youth and students organizations were also among the early signers of the petition.

Duterte earned his law degree from the then San Beda College in 1972.

After winning the presidency, Duterte has appointed a number of SBU classmates in his Cabinet.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as commencement speaker at SBU’s May 2018 graduation ceremony. ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Student Duterte

Duterte is the first Bedan who became Philippine President.

Early aspirants included Ramon Mitra and Raul Roco, both editors in chief of The Bedan, and Ambassador Roy Señeres. Benigno Aquino Jr. was also believed to have aspired for the presidency.

Duterte nearly failed to graduate after shooting a fellow College of Law student a few weeks before graduation.

Then College of Law acting dean and former Senator Rene Saguisag recommended his expulsion but was overruled by the administering Benedictine monks on “humanitarian reasons.”

A tabloid also quoted Duterte bragging he once threatened to burn down the school after a disagreement with a law professor.

Before enrolling at SBU, Duterte also matriculated at the Ateneo de Davao University (which expelled him for disciplinary infractions), Holy Cross College of Digos (now Cor Jesu College), and the Lyceum University of the Philippines. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Contradicting himself

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Cartoon by Crisby Delgado, PUP/Kodao

In a public address last week, President Rodrigo Duterte tried to explain that his campaign promise to ride a jet ski to the disputed islands at the West Philippine Sea to assert Philippine sovereignty was merely a campaign joke. He however contradicted himself in what could be one of the more bizarre rants by the chief executive already notorious for often bizarre rants. #

Bizarre ‘debate’

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Cartoon by Crisby Delgado, PUP/Kodao

President Rodrigo Duterte’s challenge to retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio to a debate on the West Philippine Sea issue has gone more weirder and weirder. After the latter has accepted the challenge, presidental spokesperson Harry Roque said the president is ready anytime. The President has since gone silent however, followed by Roque’s announcement that he had been designated to be his representative. Roque then enumerated issues to be debated upon, an imposition promptly rejected by the retired magistrate. #

Sold

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Cartoon by Crisby Delgado, PUP/Kodao

In one of his latest public addresses, President Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippines owes a big debt of gratitude to China and justified its occupation of islands inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone at the West Philippine Sea. His remarks received widespread condemnation from the Filipino people, including segments of the military.