Cause-oriented groups today picketed the United States embassy in Manila as they protested the 4-day port call of the US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The groups were led by the umbrella formation Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and the International League of Peoples Struggle (ILPS).
"The USS Carl Vinson, now more renowned as the death ship of Osama bin Laden, has docked in PH waters to further project US military might in the region. It is a symbol of US aggression and disregard for the sovereignty of other countries. Its presence in Philippine waters is a reminder of the unequal relations that has persisted between the Philippines and the US, long after the US bases were booted out," said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.
"Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has been so awestruck by US military might that he even went on a tour of the nuclear-powered Carl Vinson. A few months earlier, he joined US troops in target practice during the Balikatan war games. Given these actions by the President, we wonder how the so-called review of the VFA will end up. National sovereignty doesn't seem to rank high in the administration's priorities," Reyes said.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has drawn much attention after the US raid in Pakistan killed Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. US Navy SEALS took bin Laden to the Carl Vinson before he was buried at sea.
Sailors of the USS Carl Vinson and personnel from the Philippine Navy will conduct civil miitary operations (CMO) at the Ana Health Center in Dagat-Dagatan, Caloocan City on Tuesday May 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Bayan believes that the CMO is merely a publicity activity to gain support for US troop presence in the country. The CMO is also a key aspect of the new Philippine counter-insurgency program called Oplan Bayanihan.
"Even without formal US bases, the US military gets to use Philippine facilities for its warships and personnel. The entire country can be accessed by US warships and troops under the patently one-sided Visiting Forces Agreement," said Rita Baua of the ILPS-Philippines.
"US troop are also permanently stationed in Zamboanga in Southern Philippines, even without any basing treaty, and in clear violation of our national sovereignty and constitution. This is part of an elaborate regional network of US bases and facilities designed to protect and project US interests," she added.
Bayan challenged the Aquino government to reveal the findings of the review it conducted on the Visiting Forces Agreement.
"With US troops continuously and permanently present in our country, it is time Malacanang release the results of the VFA review. The issue of the VFA must be resolved. It is high time this agreement is terminated, as proposed by various groups, lawyers and lawmakers," Reyes said. ###
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from: bayan.ph
