With ship visit, Aquino sends wrong message regarding US troop presence in PH

In a span of three months, Philippine president Benigno Aquino III has joined US soldiers in target-practice during the Balikatan war games and recently, visited the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.


Umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan thinks Aquino is already sending the wrong message and making wrong decisions in relation to the presence of US troops in the Philippines.


“There is supposedly an ongoing review of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement being undertaken by Malacanang because of problems related to sovereignty, yet the way the president is acting, it appears that there’s no problem at all. The message we’re getting here is that US troops and their war machines are very much welcome in our country despite numerous violations of sovereignty done in the past,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.


“Instead of taking a more independent and critical outlook towards US troop presence in the country, the Philippine president has shown fan-like awe towards arriving US forces. One wonders what has really become of the VFA review given the recent actions of the President,” Reyes said.


The group said that the Philippine president should make a categorical pronouncement that it will not allow extra-territorial actions on the part of US troops in PH territory, like what US forces did in the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.


Bayan questioned the entry of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson saying that it may have violated the constitutional provisions prohibiting nuclear weapons in the country.


“The most ironic and ridiculous thing here is that the Philippine president was on board the aircraft carrier that should have been considered banned under Philippine law. It’s as if Aquino was duped into legitimizing the entry of the warship, or that the president is unaware or does not care about the constitutional provision against nuclear weapons, being more interested in the shock-and-awe factor of US military might,” Reyes said.


“Unfortunately, under the VFA, there is no way for the Philippine government to tell if a warship carries weapons of mass destruction since the VFA prohibits Philippine authorities from conducting ship inspections,” he added.


Section 8 of the Constitution says, “The Philippines, consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.”


“It is our view that the ban on nukes should encompass both nuclear warheads and warships, and that should include the USS Carl Vinson,” Reyes said.


Bayan also said that President Aquino has failed to stop the permanent basing of US troops in Southern Philippines. The US-Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines has been stationed in Zamboanga since 2002. “This is an ongoing violation of our sovereignty. The VFA has allowed an unlimited number of US forces to conduct undefined activities for an unspecified duration in PH territory. What’s to prevent US forces from conducting military operations in our country, similar to what is being done in Pakistan?” he added.###

Bayan demands justice for US military murder victim Gregan Cardeño, pins US military personnel as suspects

Press Release
July 2, 2010


Davao City- In a march rally held late afternoon yesterday, human rights advocates lighted their torches to condemn the gruesome killing of a Filipino interpreter for US troops Gregan Cardeño and to demand for an independent probe of US military intervention and cover-up.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) spokesperson John Birondo, “We take up the issue of Cardeno who is a clear victim of the US military forces operating in the country, and whose case gives credence to the need for the scrapping by the Aquino administration of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the abrogation of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).”

Gregan Cardeño, a resident of Zamboanga City had allegedly committed suicide, on the eve of February 2, 2010 in his room inside the camp of 103rd Brigade of the Philippine Army in Camp Ranao, Saber, Marawi City. Gregan was supposed to leave for Cotabato City the day before to work as interpreter of Bahasa language for the US military troops under JSOTFP through Capt. Javier Ignacio, CO of MP-WESMINCOM. His employment was coursed through the Skylink Security and General Services.

Contrary to the police reports, BAYAN said its own investigation revealed a foul play in Gregan’s death. Bayan noted the results of the Fact Finding Mission conducted by human rights group Kawagib last March 2 to 4, 2010 that have triggered suspicion on the real cause of Gregan’s death.

“The autopsy alone would show evidences of several puncture wounds, contusions and hematoma in the head of the cadaver that could have been caused forcefully by other persons,” Bayan-SMR spokesperson John Birondo said.

Bayan noted that at 7:48 am of February 2, Gregan’s elder sister Carivel Cardeño received a text message from Gregan informing the latter that he was not brought to Cotabato but to Marawi City instead. At 4:00 pm of the same day, Gregan called his wife Myrna crying and telling her that he was doing a job different from being an interpreter. He further said that the job was difficult and he wanted to go home.

“What caused more suspicions were the inconsistencies in the statements of SPO3 Ali Guibon Rangiris on the part of the local police and Capt. Kay of the US military. Rangiris first reported to Gregan’s family that they saw his body hanging on the roof of his room. He later retracted his statement and had admitted that the body of Gregan was already lying on the floor when they arrived at the scene of incident,” Birondo noted.

“There are more to dig out in this case and we will know the truth no matter what it takes. This is just one of the many atrocities wrought by the presence of US military forces in the areas where the Balikatan exercises are being conducted,” Birondo stressed.

Bayan said “The case of Cardeno was a clear test for Pres. Aquino as regards to promoting genuine patriotism and respect for national sovereignty given that he has been a clear choice by the US government as its next puppet in Asia during the last elections. Pres. Aquino should act on Cardeno’s case now and revoke the VFA and the MDT. ”

Bayan warns US meddling in 2010 elections dubious

MEDIA RELEASE

July 6, 2009



Davao City – Bayan warned here today that the expression of possible interference of the US government in the 2010 national elections will dangerously lead to more interventions of the country’s economic and political affairs.



“The statement issued by US ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney expressing the need to pursue the 2010 national elections was not a simple gesture of concern. There is a need for the US to ensure the elections in 2010 for its agenda of having charter change to also push through,” Bayan spokesperson John Birondo said.



“The mounting protests against Gloria Arroyo’s Con-Ass and Cha-Cha have caused huge damage in the credibility of charter change in general. Issues of term extension for Gloria Arroyo and her cabals did not help in building the people’s confidence over the initiatives for charter change,” Birondo added.



“We see now a shift in the efforts of the Arroyo administration to continue with cha-cha as dictated by US. The 2010 national elections will pursue as other details of ensuring Gloria Arroyo’s top post as prime minister will come after the form of government is changed to parliamentary from the current presidential system,” Birondo warned.



“In anyways the whole thing will happen, Gloria Arroyo will surely benefit from Cha-Cha,” Birondo said.



Bayan reiterated that the declaration of national patrimony and sovereignty in the 1987 Philippine Constitution is a barrier to the full operations of foreign investments in the country. It limits the implementation of policies brought by the concepts and practices of globalization such as the Mining Act of 1995.



“The US economy trampled under recession has aggressively pushed the US government to find viable options for its survival. It is in this aspect that the Philippines’ semi-feudal and semi-colonial characteristic is sustaining the need of the US and other capitalist countries for cheap labor and raw materials and a market for its surplus products,” Birondo explained.



Bayan added that the denationalization, liberalization, privatization, and deregulation policies of globalization have annihilated the role of the government in decision makings involving local investments, taxation, employment, prices of basic commodities and services, food security, public utilities, and land use.



“The root cause of social and economic disorders in the country is systemic. The crisis that has permanently caused poverty and exploitation of the Filipino people for more than a century now can only be defeated through the people’s movements,” Briondo said.



“In any way or form, a US dictated charter change will further neglect and abuse the people’s civil and economic rights,” Birondo added.