US role in Mamasapano exposed

A protest rally in front of the US embassy in Manila on February 4, 2015 exposed the role of the United States in the deadly covert operations in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. The January 25 commando raid and the ensuing 12-hour battle left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troops, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and at least seven civilians dead. Among the speakers at the rally are Makabayan Coalition President Satur Ocampo and Amirah Ali Lidasan, Secretary General of the Moro Christian People’s Alliance (MCPA). US forces were seen by witnesses in the operations. Protesters demand justice for the victims, Pres. Aquino’s resignation and the abrogation of US military pacts, notably the US-RP Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The rally was led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) and local affiliates of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS).