Statements

“THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT FOR SALE!”– BAYAN USA

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For Immediate Release

June 7, 2012

Reference: Jackelyn Mariano, Deputy Secretary General, BAYAN-USA, bayandepsec@gmail.com, 347.669.0661

“THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT FOR SALE!”– BAYAN USA

photo by Apollo Victoria

Filipino Americans Decry Aquino and Binay U.S. Visits as Business Deals to Further Trample on Philippine Sovereignty, Increase US Military Presence in Country

BAYAN-USA, a national alliance of progressive Filipino organizations, commenced the month of June by mobilizing the Filipino community to voice their outrage and concern to the Philippine President Benigno “NoyNoy” Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay on their respective visits to the United States.  BAYAN-USA condemns the Aquino administration for pushing policies that have prioritized opening up the Philippine economy to mainly cater to foreign economic and U.S. military interests, as well as the interests of the ruling classes in the Philippines at the expense of the rights and dignity of the majority of poor Filipinos. Binay visited Los Angeles this past June 2nd, while Aquino is slated to meet with US President Obama this Friday, June 8.

Binay declared his visit to the U.S. was to meet with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden to ask for help in defending the rights of trafficked Filipino teachers in Maryland. However, protesters from BAYAN-USA doubt Binay’s interest in workers’ rights due to the very fact that he was staying at the Hilton LA Airport, a boycotted hotel by a hotel workers union, which includes Filipino members. The union called for a boycott to ensure that the workers’ rights to unionize be upheld as well as the fair treatment of workers across the board.  

President Aquino, on the other hand, will be meeting Obama at the White House to discuss increasing U.S. military presence in the Philippines.  Aquino may discuss the Philippines signing onto Obama’s Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), a U.S.-led neoliberal free-trade agreement – often referred to as the NAFTA of Asia – which will further liberalize Philippine markets to deregulate foreign business ownership, clearly violating Philippine sovereignty and self-determination. Many economists have pointed to the TPPA’s design to secure US economic dominance in the Asia-Pacific region, while isolating super rival China’s emerging economic influence.

With every US military shift dictated by a US economic agenda, BAYAN-USA recognizes these meetings as Aquino’s subservience to U.S. economic and military interests, as he allows the increase of U.S. military presence in the Philippines in exchange for the tripling of U.S. military aid to the Philippines.  His visit is in line with the Pentagon’s recent announcement of a  60% strategic shift to the Asia Pacific region set to be completed by 2020. As the Obama administration uses military bullying to dictate and project its economic power in the Asia-Pacific region, it continues to justify its actions by sowing an anti-China scare campaign reminiscent of Cold War-era messaging.

Filipinos in the U.S. and in the Philippines declare, “The Philippines is NOT for sale!” and will conduct protest actions in both countries to condemn the U.S.-Philippine military alliance, which will only perpetuate more human rights violations against the Filipino people and aggravate the threat of war, putting the Philippine nation in direct danger of unwarranted military action.

Join BAYAN-USA in nationally-coordinated protest actions to demand that President Aquino uphold Philippine sovereignty and protect the rights and welfare of the Filipino people!

* Friday, June 8, 2:00PM EST

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest

Sidewalks between East & West Executive Avenues

Washington, D.C.

Contact: Jackelyn Mariano, Deputy Secretary General, BAYAN-USA, 347.669.0661

* Friday, June 8, 5:30PM PST

Hilton LAX

Los Angeles, California

Contact: Theresa Jaranilla, Southwest Coordinator, BAYAN-USA, 213.373.5154

* Sat, June 9 & Sun, June 10, 12pm-5pm PST

Seattle Center, Pagdiriwang Festival commemorating Philippine Independence

Seattle, Washington

Contact: Chel Cendana, Pacific Northwest Coordinator, BAYAN-USA, 360.990.9424

UPHOLD PHILIPPINE SOVEREIGNTY!

THE PHILIPPINES IS NOT FOR SALE!

U.S. TROOPS OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES! U.S. TROOPS OUT OF THE ASIA PACIFIC!

NO TO  THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT!

DOWN WITH U.S. IMPERIALISM!

###

Anakbayan-USA Tribute to Ernesto “Ka Erning” Gulfo

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Alay SF and Anakbayan Malabon with Ka Erning

We are outraged by the brutal assassination of Ernesto “Ka Erning” Gulfo, urban poor leader and community organizer of Catmon, Malabon on May 30, 2012.  We condemn the systematic and continuous terror campaign of the Aquino regime against our people back home in the Philippines.  Ka Erning’s murder adds to Aquino’s growing record of political killings.  This clearly shows that Aquino is perpetuating the legacy of the previous President Arroyo through his utter disregard for human rights.

Ernesto “Ka Erning” Gulfo is an urban poor leader and community organizer of Catmon, Malabon.  As the chairperson of the local alliance of people’s organizations against the demolitions of urban poor communities, Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon (AKD) – Malabon, he was organizing the community to defend itself against a demolition that would displace over 1,500 families.  Ka Erning had a deep grasp of the community’s problems and the Philippine government’s devious schemes to displace urban poor communities in the name of “development”.  He worked tirelessly to organize local residents to stand up and defend their basic human rights.  He showed that the way to truly change these conditions was to take collective action and struggle for national democracy.  Because of this, he became a prime target of state-sponsored terrorism.  On the morning of May 30, two unidentified men entered his home and shot him twice in the chest. Ka Erning is now the 77th victim of political killings under the Aquino administration.

As soon as we found out about his murder, it immediately sent shockwaves throughout the Filipino youth movement in the US.  Many of us had the opportunity to meet Ka Erning on our exposure trips to the Philippines.  He was a humble and warm-hearted comrade, father, grandfather, and laborer who selflessly welcomed community members and exposurists into his home.  Ka Erning was a wise teacher to a generation of Filipino youth and student activists here in the US.  He generously shared his years of experience and insightful lessons as an organizer and activist.  He emphasized that in order to effectively organize, we should not only hold meetings, but be on the ground in the community and immerse ourselves in the lives of the masses.

The struggle of Ka Erning and the urban poor population of the Philippines resounds strongly to us, who are part of the Filipino diaspora. The poverty and injustices that cause the internal migration and displacement of the urban poor in the Philippines are the same conditions that force thousands of us to migrate abroad daily.

Under the current Aquino regime’s Public-Private Partnership “development” scheme, violent demolitions and human rights violations are an integral part of the ruling class’ ruthless drive to acquire property and profit.  Even here in the US, communities are increasingly under threat of displacement by the ruling 1% through the gentrification of working class and immigrant communities, as well as the widespread foreclosure of homes by big banks.

Ka Erning fought for a brighter future for our people. He will live on forever in the hearts and memories of the Filipino people here in the US as a martyr of our people’s struggle for dignity and genuine liberation. We will continue his unfinished struggle.

We call on our kababayans to emulate Ka Erning’s shining example.  Let’s organize and struggle for a Philippines where human rights are upheld and all our people will have homes and a life with dignity.  Struggle for national democracy until victory!

Justice for Ernesto “Ka Erning” Gulfo!

Stop the demolitions!

Struggle for national democracy in the Philippines!

 

For related news about Ka Erning’s murder

Malabon Junk Shop Owner Shot Dead

Group Condemns Anti-Demolition Leader’s Killing

Filipino Youth and Students hold Founding Congress of Anakbayan-USA in the midst of Anti-NATO Protests in Chicago

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Chicago, IL – On May 18, Filipino youth and student leaders from across the US convened at the Centro Autonomo community center, located in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, for the historic Anakbayan-USA Founding Congress.  The congress established Anakbayan-USA as a nationwide organization and overseas national chapter of Anakbayan Philippines in the midst of city-wide protest marches and rallies against the ongoing North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit. This, according to organizers, is their symbolic protest and act of defiance against the global 1% represented by NATO.

The theme of the founding congress declared the purpose and direction of Anakbayan-USA: “Makibaka! Huwag Matakot! Unite and Strengthen the Filipino Youth Movement in the US to Advance the Struggle for National Democracy in the Philippines!”  The theme is aimed at calling on the youth to join the struggle against the increased repression in the US and to contribute to the struggle for genuine social change in the Philippines. 

“It [AB-USA Founding Congress] couldn’t have come on any other day than today, in the face of G8 and NATO.  This is our act of defiance.  Our coming here together as youth and students of our people is our act of defiance in the face of imperialism. We owe this to our brothers and sisters who have suffered and who have sacrificed their lives to fight for our people’s liberation,” said Yves Nibungco, elected founding National Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA. 

Over 60 delegates from Anakbayan chapters in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey, San Diego, East Bay (Oakland), Silicon Valley and Chicago, including delegates from affiliate organization, League of Filipino Students (LFS) – San Francisco State University came to the founding congress to approve a General Program of Action and elect the National Executive Committee of Anakbayan-USA. Those elected were Yves Nibungco of Anakbayan New Jersey as Chairperson, Janelle Quibuyen of Anakbayan Seattle as Vice Chairperson, Eric Tandoc of Anakbayan Los Angeles as Secretary General, Ivan Penetrante of Anakbayan San Diego as Education Officer, Noemi Teppang of Anakbayan Silicon Valley as Finance Officer and Lyle Prijoles of the League of Filipino Students-SFSU as Solidarity Officer. 

The keynote speech was delivered through a pre-recorded video by Jose Maria Sison, the exiled Filipino revolutionary and founding chairperson of the seminal Filipino youth organization, Kabataang Makabayan (KM). “We are certain that your congress will strengthen your resolve and will instruct you to arouse the Filipino youth throughout the US, expand and consolidate Anakbayan-USA and mobilize an increasing number of Filipino youth along the line of anti-imperialist and democratic struggle and militant support for the struggle of the Filipino youth and people for national liberation and democracy in the Philippines,” said Sison.

A live message was given via Skype by Renato Reyes, Secretary General of Bayan Philippines and founding chairperson of Anakbayan Philippines in 1998, in which he affirmed the role of Anakbayan in the US.  “Anakbayan can introduce Philippine history, society and revolution to a growing number of Filipino-Americans who long to understand their roots and the struggle in the homeland. At the same time, the Fil-Am youth experience first-hand problems of racism and discrimination as well as economic exploitation and imperialist war. Anakbayan should also organize the immigrant youth who are familiar with the severity of the crisis in the Philippines, often the reason why they have to migrate,” said Reyes.

Chanting “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!”, a protest chant popularized during the anti-Marcos dictatorship struggle in the 70’s, members of Anakbayan-USA pledged “to continue to expose the rotten character of the Aquino regime and to raise the struggle for national democracy to a new level of intensity.”  The delegates concluded the founding congress with a group oath-taking and singing of progressive Filipino songs.

Anakbayan-USA later marched with the “national liberation” contingent at the Coalition Against the NATO/G8 demonstrations in downtown Chicago comprised of Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, Palestinians, Canadians and others to denounce NATO and G8 as instruments of the “Global 1%” in exploiting third world countries like the Philippines. ###

FILIPINO-AMERICANS TO DESCEND UPON CHICAGO TO PROTEST NATO

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FILIPINO-AMERICANS TO DESCEND UPON CHICAGO TO PROTEST NATO
US Chapter of BAYAN to Hold 4th Congress in Chicago Days Before NATO Summit

CHICAGO– Filipino-Americans from across the US will gather in Chicago on Sunday, May 20, 2012 to join the nationally-coordinated protest demonstration against the scheduled NATO Summit in downtown Chicago. The protest is scheduled two days after the fourth congress of the US Chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, also known as BAYAN USA, which will also take Chicago on Friday, May 18th, at Centro Autonomo in  Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. 

 
Founded in 2005 in San Francisco, BAYAN USA is an alliance of 15 Filipino community organizations across the US  who have actively campaigned on issues of human rights, immigrant reform, workers’ rights, racial and gender discrimination, environmental justice, budget cuts as well as US economic and military intervention and counter-insurgency in the Philippines for the past 7 years. 

The congress and protest comes at the heels of high-level talks in Washington between representatives from the administration of Philippine president Benigno Aquino III and US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last month, confirming the so-called “new” US military pivot to the Asia-Pacific region to contain the so-called “rising threat” of China will rely heavily on an increase of US military troops in the Philippines, where at least 600 US special forces operatives have been deployed in Mindanao under the auspices of post-9/11 counter-terrorism exercises.

 
Anti-China Scare is a Ruse for Economic Agenda
 
“The US economy is actually dependent on China as the two are major commercial partners,” states Berna Ellorin, chairperson of BAYAN USA. “This so-called new US military pivot to Asia is nothing new. The US military have been in the Philippines since 1898, the longest-running US military foreign basing in the world.  The Obama administration’s real intention for its military agenda lies in pushing a new US-led free trade agreement in the region– the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). It’s a lot like NAFTA in that it is oriented to ensure the US economically dominates trade in the Asia-Pacific region. But it is also a lot bigger and more aggressive than NAFTA in eradicating the local economies and destroying livelihood for the regional peoples, including that of the Philippines.”

In response to the claim of the US and Aquino governments that China is a major threat to the region, BAYAN USA asserts that the Aquino government’s welcoming of an increased US military presence in the country not only alarmingly exposes the extent of its puppetry to the dictates of the US government, but also poses a greater danger to Philippine territorial integrity and to the Filipino people themselves.”
 
“Does the Aquino government not care that about the countless, documented cases of abuses suffered directly by Filipino men, women, and children from US military in the Philippines?,” Ellorin continued “What about Suzette ‘Nicole’ Nicolas? What about Buyong-Buyong Isnijal? What about Gregan Cardeno? Has any US military personnel in the Philippines ever been arrested or charged for rape, molestation, harassment, or murder? And yet, the Filipino people are supposed to believe that CHINA’S military is the bigger threat?” 
 
The G8 and NATO Summits

In light of the upcoming G8 and NATO Summit meetings in the US this month, BAYAN USA will raise the issue of the US-led neoliberalism through the TPPA and military agenda through the US military pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, to the protest demonstration in Chicago. 
 
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of anti-China sentiment going around, but we want to clarify what this push for increased US military in the Philippines and in Asia is really about. It’s not so much about containing China as it is about making sure the global 1% are able to reap and plunder the natural riches of the Asia-Pacific region as well as avail of cheap, exploitable human labor from its peoples without limits through economic agreements like the TPPA,” Ellorin stated. “And this is in line with G8 and NATO agendas.”
 
BAYAN USA also called on the Aquino administration to assert Philippine national sovereignty through diplomatic, peaceful means when addressing territorial disputes with countries in the region, including China, instead of always turning to the US military. ###
 
 
BAYAN-USA is an alliance of 15 progressive Filipino organizations in the U.S. representing youth, students, women, workers, artists, and human rights advocates. As the oldest and largest overseas chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Philippines), BAYAN-USA serves as an information bureau for the national democratic movement of the Philippines and as a campaign center for anti-imperialist Filipinos in the U.S. For more information, visit www.bayanusa.org

JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE SILVERIO DEMOLITION!

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Anakbayan chapters throughout the United States most vehemently condemn the violent and brutal dispersal of residents and stall owners of Parañaque’s Silverio compound and the forced eviction and demolition of their community by the combined forces of the Philippine National Police, paid goons, and security agents of business tycoon Henry Sy, on April 23. In their unjustified and unnecessary use of force, tear gas, and gunfire against unarmed civilians, at least one person was killed, 39 were severely injured, and another 30 were illegally arrested. These people were legally defending their homes, small businesses, and livelihoods from destruction. After the “hero’s burial” of Arnel Leonor–killed during the demolition–on April 29, with simultaneous protests throughout the country, President Aquino has yet to say anything about the young man’s death.

The Silverio compound, in which 28,000 urban poor reside, is set to be demolished for the establishment of condominiums for the Shoemart (SM) Development Corporation, owned by the Philippines’ richest business tycoon, Henry Sy. Despite the fact that the Parañaque city government had reportedly deposited P10.4 million to acquire the lot and allow the residents to pay for their property through a Community Mortgage Program, state and private business forces instigated the violent dispersal of this community for the continued super-profits of big businesses like that of Sy.

This incident is only one manifestation of the ongoing social injustice long suffered by the poor majority of Filipino people. We remember the residents of Corazon de Jesus in San Juan, Metro Manila who were violently evicted from their residences and whose homes were destroyed last year by over 400 police backed by a mob of security agents and a paid demolition team. We remember the Hacienda Luisita Massacre in 2004. The Aquino government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) Programs legalize the profiteering of big landlords as well as foreign and national big businesses at the expense of the majority of the Filipino people. It creates the basis for the continued rampant demolition of poor Filipinos’ homes and livelihoods, which has become a trademark of the Aquino regime.

We condemn this human rights violation, as it represents no departure from President Aquino’s track record on issues affecting the youth. He demonstrates his neglect for public education through his administration’s budget cuts for state universities and colleges, and its recent approval of a new round of tuition and other fee increases for School Year 2012-2013. To the Filipino youth, it has always been clear that his administration treats the masses of Filipino people as second-class citizens in their own country. He readily destroys the future of the youth by abandoning state responsibility to provide access to an affordable education for all, in the same way that his police destroy the homes and livelihoods of the urban poor. He privatizes and commodifies education and, in the same vein, sides with business tycoon Henry Sy in displacing thousands in the Silverio Compound.

But what can we expect of a President who happily welcomes US soldiers to trample on the sovereignty of the Filipino people? Since his election to office, Aquino has continued the anti-people policies of his predecessors and has been ever-compliant in selling our lands and resources to foreigners through his PPP programs. Through his puppetry to imperialist nations, especially the United States, his policies are in line with those who have historically worsened conditions in the Philippines. To keep the economy afloat and alleviate unrest, his administration continues the virtual selling of Filipino workers through its Labor Export Policy (LEP), which systematically pushes Filipinos abroad for work.  This includes our very own families here in the United States.

As Filipino American youth, we recognize that we live in the country that maintains social, political, and economic hegemony over the Philippines. We recognize that the Philippine government’s prioritizes the interests of big and foreign businesses (including many American ones) over those of the Filipino youth and urban poor, thereby forcing our compatriots to leave the country every day in the thousands to find livelihoods abroad. Rather than implementing genuine land reform, promoting national industries, and providing decent jobs within the country for the benefit of the majority of Filipino people, the Aquino government faithfully protects the interests of the few who benefit from the current oppressive system in the Philippines. Furthermore, we condemn the Philippine government’s flagrant use of police brutality and fascist practices in suppressing the justified resistance of the people. We recognize chilling parallels to the fascist current in the US, with the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Trespass Bill, and the murder of Trayvon Martin.

In an effort to resist the Philippine government’s subservience to big and foreign businesses, and to stand in solidarity with the Silverio compound residents defending their lives and livelihoods against state violence, we call on our fellow youth and Filipinos in the U.S. and their families to boycott all businesses owned by Henry Sy, including Banco de Oro and Shoemart (SM). The U.S. has the largest population of Filipinos outside the Philippines, amounting to over four million; our hard-earned money should not fund businesses that kill poor Filipinos in the name of profits.

At the Leonor’s burial, Gloria Arellano of Kadamay, an organization of urban poor in the Philippines, stated: “As Leonor is laid to rest today, we call for justice for the victims of the brutality of this state. We promise no let up in this fight. The Filipino masses shall soon be able to end this oppressive government and its anti-poor and fascist policies.” We stand in solidarity with the urban poor in demanding justice for the victims of the “Silverio Massacre.” We shall continue the fight for Philippine national democracy and justice against state violence both in the Philippines and the U.S.

JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE SILVERIO DEMOLITION!
BOYCOTT BANCO DE ORO AND SM!
END STATE VIOLENCE!
CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE FOR NATIONAL DEMOCRACY!

MAKIBAKA! HUWAG MATAKOT! Unite and Strengthen the Filipino Youth Movement in the U.S. to Advance the Struggle for National Democracy in the Philippines!

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MAKIBAKA! HUWAG MATAKOT!
Unite and Strengthen the Filipino Youth Movement in the U.S.
To Advance the Struggle for National Democracy in the Philippines!

“Only through militant struggle can the best in the youth emerge.”
 – Jose Maria Sison

Today, as the people and working class all over the world militantly march for International Workers’ Day, we announce the upcoming Founding Congress of Anakbayan-USA on May 18, 2012 in Chicago.  As the first overseas national chapter of Anakbayan, we will continue to build the first nationwide Filipino youth movement that clearly recognizes the integral role of US-born and migrant Filipino youth in the struggle for national liberation and genuine democracy in the Philippines.

Anakbayan was founded on November 30, 1998, one hundred and thirty-five years after the birth of Andres Bonifacio, the working class revolutionary leader who founded the Katipunan and fought for national liberation against Spain.  It was formed to take up the historic task of arousing, organizing and mobilizing a powerful key force in Philippine society, the Filipino youth.  In 2001, only three years after its establishment, Anakbayan emerged as one of the leading forces in mobilizing hundreds of thousands of youth in the massive people’s uprising now known as “People Power II,” which ousted President Joseph Estrada.  Since then, Anakbayan has consistently been at the forefront of the Filipino youth movement in advancing the struggles of oppressed and exploited communities nationwide for genuine independence and democracy in the Philippines.

As soon as Anakbayan was founded in the Philippines, migrant and US-born Filipino youth heeded its call to continue the Katipunan’s unfinished revolution of 1896. Progressive Filipino youth and student organizations across the US immediately affiliated with Anakbayan and in 2002, finally established the first overseas chapter in Seattle. Since then, Anakbayan has spread across the country to major cities with large concentrations of Filipino youth, including Los Angeles, East Bay, New York, New Jersey, San Diego and Silicon Valley.

Anakbayan chapters in the US have been at the forefront of protecting the rights and welfare of our kababayans by linking and raising social justice issues here in the US to the struggles of the oppressed and exploited back home in the Philippines. Anakbayan has fought against education budget cuts, struggled to defend immigrant rights, linked arms with workers to recover stolen wages and sought justice for trafficked workers.

We are now confronted with a protracted global economic crisis and rising fascism. According to the US Department of Labor, 1 in every 2 youth is jobless while thousands continue to lose their jobs from mass layoffs. Meanwhile, higher public education remains inaccessible to most students as tuition fees continue to increase at an annual average rate of 8% nationwide, with some public universities raising tuition by as much as 31%. As private detention centers rake in profits, the Obama administration continues to systematically carry out record-breaking deportations, which have displaced 1.2 million immigrants since he was elected into office. Undocumented youth continue to live in a nightmare as the DREAM Act mutates into a selective military draft for immigrant youth to be used as frontliners in countless wars of imperialist aggression in our home countries.

In anticipation of a surge in people’s resistance, we see the rise of a fascist police state in the US through the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA) and other repressive laws like Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) and HR 347 “Anti-Protest Law”.  While the civil and political rights of all Americans are being attacked, the US continues to impose its violence against people across the world in pursuit of increasing profits.

In the Philippines, the struggle continues to intensify as the crisis of the semi-feudal and semi-colonial society worsens and US military intervention increases to protect the economic interests of multinational corporations. True to his class, the landlord President Noynoy Aquino continues to faithfully serve imperialist, big business and big landlord interests by ensuring the increased exploitation of workers and even allowing US drones to drop bombs on our people. Clearly, the Filipino youth have no bright future within the current system. There is no other way for the youth but to fight back.

Through Anakbayan-USA, Filipino youth across the US are unifying and strengthening their community organizing efforts in order to carry forward the historic torch of courageous and daring youth that paved the way before us.  From the legacy of the anti-colonial resistance of the Katipunan and the Kabataang Makabayan that defied the iron fist of the Marcos dictatorship, we will continue to advance the struggle for national democracy in the Philippines until its eventual victory.  We play a crucial role here in organizing Filipino youth of all backgrounds and building international solidarity with all oppressed communities and countries.

We call on the Filipino youth to defiantly declare “Makibaka! Huwag Matakot!” Join the struggle and don’t be afraid! Let this call resound throughout the campus halls, workplaces, and in the streets. Let us unite and build this movement. Let us fulfill our revolutionary role as Filipino youth and serve the people!


US Intervention, NOT CHINA, is the Greatest Threat to Peace & Security in the Philippines– BAYAN USA

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News Statement

April 16, 2012

Reference: Bernadette Ellorin, Chairperson, BAYAN USA, email: chair@bayanusa.org

Filipino-American Alliance Calls Aquino Gov’t to Junk the VFA, Stop Balikatan Exercises

As today marks the formal opening of the 28th US-Philippine Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) Exercises in Palawan, Filipino-Americans across the US, under the banner of BAYAN USA, are joined by their American allies in condemning intensifying US military intervention in the Philippines as the greatest threat to peace and security in the country and the Asia-Pacific region.

US is the Real Bully

Contrary to Washington’s line, the Chinese government is not flexing its military might to bully other countries in the region in order to expand its economic interests. It is the US government that fits said description, as US military’s so-called “rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region” is motivated by the Obama administration campaign to push the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a new free trade agreement akin to NAFTA that would ensure US economic and political domination in the region, as well as contain super rival China’s emerging economic power and growth.

Decades of US military presence in the Philippines in the name of peace-keeping and anti-terrorism have proven that it is the US troops, not China, that are guilty of pointing their own guns at Filipino civilians, raping Filipino women and children, patronizing and encouraging sex tours and increased prostitution, polluting and destroying the environment, requiring the massive displacement of rural communities in order to accommodate their military operations, advising and training the same Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) documented and denounced by international human rights organizations as perpetrating gross human rights abuses in the country, not to the least of which is the blatant violation and disrespect to Philippine national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Under Obama, the Philippines is now being used as testing grounds for US drone air strikes, in line with its historical role as a strategic launching pad and fueling station for US military offensives in nearly all of its wars of aggression. The US is also hyping up anti-China sentiment in the region by intervening in regional territorial disputes over the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, of which China is a stakeholder, clearly aimed at provoking military aggression with the Philippines at the crosshairs. 

Hearts and Minds Campaign

Characteristic of this year’s Balikatan Exercises is the so-called focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HA/DR), including a Civil-Military Operations (CMO) component that started in March 12 with an engineering program to construct schools and facilities in the most marginalized areas of Palawan. Reminiscent of the same tactics used by the US military campaign to “win the hearts and minds” of the Vietnamese people and gather popular support for direct US military intervention during the Vietnam War, the HA/DR focus of the Balikatan Exercises is actually in line with the 2009 US State Department’s Counter-Insurgency (US COIN) Guide. The said US COIN guide purports the need for a population-centric approach, or low-intensity conflict (LIC),  wherein “the margin of victory will be measured in far different terms than the wars of our past. The allegiance, trust, and confidence of populations will be the final arbiters” as stated by US Army General William B. Caldwell IV in the US Army Field Manual on population-centric COIN.

With a strong Philippine movement for sovereignty and democracy gaining ground, including an armed revolutionary movement popular with the country’s poor and explicit in its aim to fundamentally change the current failing system in favor of a self-sufficient system implementing genuine land reform and national industrialization, the US government is driven to apply LIC tactics to win support away from the cause national liberation and keep the Philippines as its most reliable hub for power projection in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The US government, and its ruling financial oligarchy, is also driven to maintain the Philippines as a valuable export position for vast natural resources and cheap human labor power in the midst of a worsening global economic crisis it is grappling, but failing, to overcome. 

NoyNoy’s Bankruptcy Exposed

The US-Aquino regime is becoming increasingly isolated as its promise of change is exposing itself as bankrupt through Aquino’s inaction and “NoyNoying” over crucial domestic matters of public interest requiring attention. At the same time Aquino unflinchingly steps to the plate to bat for Uncle Sam’s quest to rattle his saber in the region under the deceptive line of defending the region against China.

It is obvious that Aquino is desperate to keep enjoying the spoils of US puppetry by continuing US-funded state repression against civilians who criticize his policies and championing the US government’s initial steps toward direct US military intervention in the country in the face of a raging civil war between those wanting to maintain the status quo, and those wanting to change the system and build a brighter future. 

It is in this regard that BAYAN USA calls on all in the US who are burdened by the effects of the economic crisis to hold the Obama administration accountable for its maneuvers to invest billions in beefing up it military presence in the Asia-Pacific region through expanding its network of military bases, facilities, operations, and agreements in the region when it could be investing in jobs, education, healthcare, housing, and social services for the American people. We call on all who are against US wars of aggression to demand the Obama administration withdraw its military presence in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region. We call on all in the US who have been victimized by US counter-insurgency, including COINTELPRO, and the onslaught of repressive legislation criminalizing dissent and curtailing democratic rights to condemn US counter-insurgency in the Philippines, home to the world’s longest-running armed revolution against US imperialism. Lastly, we call on all who are for freedom to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people’s struggle for genuine national sovereignty and democracy, a mass movement so widespread and historical in its challenge to US imperialist power projection in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

US TROOPS OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES 
JUNK THE VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT
STOP THE BALIKATAN EXERCISES
UPHOLD PHILIPPINE SOVEREIGNTY
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

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BAYAN–USA is an alliance of 15 progressive Filipino organizations in the U.S. representing youth, students, women, workers, artists, and human rights advocates. As the oldest and largest overseas chapter of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-Philippines), BAYAN–USA serves as an information bureau for the national democratic movement of the Philippines and as a campaign center for anti-imperialist Filipinos in the U.S. For more information, visit www.bayanusa.org

Return to Sender: 5 Reasons to Oppose US Military Intervention in

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Return to Sender: 5 Reasons to Oppose US Military Intervention in the Philippines

1. It violates the national sovereignty of the Philippines

The arrival of US forces invariably involves some form of military intervention including outright aggression, occupation and colonization. It would be like people storming into your house, moving their equipment into your bedroom, throwing out your stuff, ordering you to cook and clean for them, beating up your children and spouse, and informing you that you’d be responsible for continuing to pay rent as well as supplying them with meals and entertainment in return for protecting your home.

2. The American people pay without a say

The American people never agreed to send US troops to the Philippines. The current round of military exercises and deployment of US troops to the Philippines takes place under the terms of the Visiting Forces Agreement—a treaty that was never ratified by the US Senate, has no implementing law and is not self-executing, but has been in effect since 1999. And it costs American taxpayers millions of dollars every year without any agreement or oversight by the Senate—or the American people.

3. Civilian deaths, displacement of thousands of families, and other human rights violations will increase Even before US troops arrive, the US and Philippine military prepare miles of land for military exercises by conducting “clearing operations”— shorthand for kicking thousands of families out of their homes and even taking over schools to house US troops. Once the troops land, conditions get worse. US servicemen have fired on civilians, including children in the area whom soldiers “mistook” for wild pigs. The joint exercises between US and Philippine troops and use of US advisors to the Philippine military becomes even more questionable when you consider the Philippine military’s human rights record: 1,280 murders, 215

abductions, and 1,150 acts of torture against innocent civilians since 2001. If the Philippine military is perpetrating these atrocities, what are the US troops and advisors doing with them?

4. It is linked to increased prostitution, rape, and other sexual offenses, particularly against women and children Around US bases and military encampments, the development of an “entertainment” and “service” industry leads to a rise in the number of sex workers who are exposed to sexually transmitted disease and abuse US servicemen. Young girls have been subjected to rape. And it’s no wonder: A Marine Corps Times article published on April 8, 2012 said that “the Philippines also are known for their raunchy party atmosphere! Places such as Olongapo and Angeles City feature notorious red-light districts where alcohol and scantily clad women have attracted many Marines and sailors over the years!That’s what WestPac is: a lot of fun, a lot of good partying and a lot to do.” The Philippines is left to deal with the social costs from the rising sex trade and incidents of rape—with the perpetrators allowed to go free.

5. The military’s toxic waste pollutes the environment for decades and leads to deadly diseases Environmental damage due to military activities devastates communities for generations. Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, through the conduct of numerous studies and investigations, is known to have toxic PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) that were left in corroding power transformers after 1991. In Subic, Filipino workers at the former base were forced to handle toxic waste, including burying it, and swimming through sewage to unclog pipes. Subsequent deaths of these workers and children near the area have called attention to the effects of these wastes. A recent study by KALIKASAN-People’s Network for the Environment revealed that 800 out of 4,000 residents near Subic Base are afflicted with asbestosis. Today, residents return to their villages after the military leave and find live ammunition, used shells and casings, and land laid to waste that used to be used for farming.

In the short-term and in the long-run, US militarization in the Philippines benefits no one— American or Filipino.

by: BAYAN-USA

US OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES! US OUT OF ASIA-PACIFIC!– BAYAN USA

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News Statement

February 1, 2012

Reference: Bernadette Ellorin, Chairperson, BAYAN USA, email: chair@bayanusa.org

Aquino Aligns with US Military Build-Up in Asia-Pacific, a Threat to Peace in the Region

Filipino-Americans across the US, under the banner of BAYAN USA, express condemnation and disgust over the efforts of Philippine President Benigno Simeon “Noy-Noy” Aquino III to accommodate the “new” US defense strategy that entails a so-called “rebalance to Asia”, including an increase in US military presence in the Philippines. BAYAN USA also denounces the US government’s Cold War-style media offensive against economic rival China as a pretext to justify its gross expansion of US military powers in the Asia-Pacific in order to increase US economic, political, and military investments in the region.

Economically-Motivated

Under neoliberalism, the US economy is largely dependent on the Pacific Rim, particularly because of its export position. In 2010, the 21 economies that make up the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum accounted for 61% of US exports ($775 billion) and 37% of private services exports ($205 billion). The US economy’s export position in the region accounts for nearly 5 million US jobs. But for countries such as the Philippines, the US investment and export position is at the heart of deepening crisis and poverty due to lack of sovereign claim to natural resources and territory. In line with their national interests, countries like the Philippines must wage fierce struggles against US interventionism in order to assert their right to chart their own economic and political paths.

 

With China’s economic growth threatening US dominion over the region, and with Obama’s push for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement that would outline a US-dominated free trade zone in the region, the US government has announced it will shift its military focus away from Iraq and Afghanistan and renew its commitment to assert it’s position in Asia-Pacific. It has found a reliable stooge in the Aquino government. Recent negotiations framed as a Strategic Dialogue between top Washington security and defense officials and the Aquino administration have laid the ground work for the consolidation of the Philippines as a key US military base location, serving as a permanent staging ground for US military offensives, storage space for surveillance drones, resupply and refueling station for US warships and aircrafts, as well as rest and recreational facility for US servicemen.

 

In addition to violating Philippine national sovereignty, Aquino’s compliance in accommodating US saber-rattling seeks to undo the 1991 landmark decision of the Philippine Senate to reject the US bases treaty that essentially shutdown permanent US military bases Subic Naval and Clark Air Field, by once again opening these ports for indefinite and “rotational” basing of US troops and throughout the archipelago.

Aquino Positions the Philippines in the Crossfire

Not only does Aquino government reach an all-time high in the barometer of US puppetry with these negotiations, it is aligning the Philippines with a military scheme that will threaten peace in the entire Asia-Pacific region. The US government, driven by its war-dependent economy, is expanding its military presence in Asia-Pacific region under rhetoric of security in the South China Sea and in particular the territorial dispute over the Spratly Islands, when in fact it seeks an excuse to provoke military aggression and create a war-like situation against China that will boost up it military-industrial complex at the expense of the surrounding countries. Such compliance on the Aquino government’s part will surely position the Filipino people in the middle of the crossfire.

 

Starting with the Philippine-American War of 1899, which marked the advent of US imperialism onto the global stage at the turn of the 20th century, 113 years US geopolitical strategy in region has left the Philippines with a tragic history and ongoing reality of US military infestation whose social costs have burdened its people with untold pain and misery. From hosting the largest US permanent foreign military bases to succumbing to the onerous US-RP Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)– the mother of all unequal military treaties and agreements– to the virtually permanent Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), over one century of US military presence in the country has been directly linked to the indiscriminate killings, rape and other sexual offenses, massive displacement of rural communities, waste, disease, and other forms of human rights abuses.

Call for Resistance & Solidarity

As Filipinos in the US, BAYAN USA sees concretely how both the Aquino and Obama governments– guardians of financial oligarchy– are acting in betrayal of the broad interest of the Filipino and American peoples. Just as the poor grow poorer in the Philippines under Aquino’s failed economic policies, so are working people in the US forced to carry the heavy burden of paying for a debt crisis they did not create. As peoples resistance to the intolerable 1% escalates amidst the crisis, BAYAN USA joins the call for greater solidarity between people in the US struggling against the US military-industrial complex and for economic equality and the Filipino people’s ongoing struggle for genuine national independence and democracy. This must translate to greater efforts to expose and oppose the US geopolitical strategy in the Asia-Pacific region as a scheme of the purveyors of crisis and war to maintain tight control over the region’s wealth. Peoples resistance and firm solidarity are key in our efforts to frustrate US interventionism in the region!

US OUT OF THE PHILIPPINES! 

US OUT OF ASIA!

JUNK THE US-RP MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY!

JUNK THE US-RP VISITING FORCES AGREEMENT!

UPHOLD PHILIPPINE NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY!

LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!