US TROOPS OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES!
Bayan-Europe Information desk
Press Statement
April 11, 2012
BAYAN-Europe expresses condemnation and disgust over the efforts of Philippine President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to welcome more US military troops in the country in the light of the holding of military exercises called Balikatan (“shoulder-to-shoulder”) to be held in the Philippines on April 16-27.
For the first time, these war games will be multilateral involving Japan, South Korea and Australia, as well as the Philippines and over 4,000 US troops. For the past many years, these US instigated war games have only opened doors to a more permanent basing of US troops in the Philippines. At present, 660 US troops are operating in Mindanao, a major island in the Southern part of the country.
President Aquino’s pronouncements that the exercises are meant to increase disaster preparedness, to strengthen Philippine military defense against possible aggression by China or fallout from North Korea’s rocket tests are pure deception and justification for increased US intervention in the Philippines. The exercises are obviously part of the US 2012 strategic defense scheme to consolidate American military power and its alliances with countries in the Asia Pacific to contain its biggest economic rival China, to threaten North Korea and impose its political-military hegemony in the region.
Bayan-Europe also calls for protests on the coming high-level talks between US and Philippine officials on April 30 in Washington DC to negotiate terms for the increased military deployment in the Philippines.
The US government surely has found a reliable stooge in the Aquino regime. Aquino has openly stated opening our ports for indefinite and “rotational” basing of US troops throughout the archipelago.
There are ongoing negotiations between the US and the Philippine governments that are intended to bring back US military bases on Philippine soil to serve as permanent staging ground for US military offensives, storage space for surveillance drones, resupply and refueling for US warships and aircrafts, as well as rest and recreational facility for US servicemen.
Bayan-Europe calls on all Filipinos and other peoples in Europe who believe in peace and justice to participate in the International Action Against US Intervention in the Philippines from April 16 to April 30.
We must expose and oppose US interventionism, wars of aggression and global hegemonism. Only people’s resistance and strong solidarity can frustrate US interventionism and defeat US imperialism, the number one purveyor of crises and wars.
US OUT OF THE PHILIPINES!
JUNK THE US-RP MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY!
JUNK THE US-RP VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT!
UPHOLD PHILIPPINE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY!
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
