The attempts by the U.S. military to whitewash its heightened presence in the Philippines through “disaster training” are utterly despicable. The U.S. imperialists, in collusion with the Marcos regime and the U.S. mercenary officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) must be condemned by the Filipino people for exploiting the recent climate disasters to mount another publicity stunt that camouflages the brazen violations of Philippine sovereignty.

The “disaster training,” which is nothing but another U.S. military air show and maneuver exercises, purportedly to support the AFP’s “rapid response,” serves as another occasion for the U.S. to display its military power.

It is shameless how Marcos’ top military and defense officers grovel and beg for the Philippines to have access to the facilities within the camps of the AFP—the so-called “agreed locations” under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)—supposedly to help them distribute relief items to disaster victims.

These U.S. – supplied water bottles, relief assistance and deployment support are mere token responses to Philippine disasters. In return, U.S. military forces are granted even greater access to Philippine air, sea and land territories. Recall how the US deployed one of its biggest aircraft carriers, the USS George Washington, to the vicinity of Leyte Gulf in 2013, carrying superficial amounts of water, food and medical supplies, but which was used by the U.S. military to put boots on the ground in various parts of Eastern Visayas.

The militarization of disaster response, especially by a foreign military power like the U.S, undermines the humanitarian principle of neutrality and serves political and military objectives of the military power. While the delivery of relief assistance may appear altruistic and benign, the real priority of the US and AFP “disaster partnership” is to strengthen U.S. hegemonism over the Asia-Pacific region and serve US imperialist war preparations by expanding US military presence.

The Filipino people must sharply recognize and expose the imperialist aims of the U.S. and the subservience of the Marcos regime in these so-called “disaster trainings.” These must be denounced for serving the strategic aims of the U.S. military in the country, which is to continue using the Philippines as a staging ground for its wars of aggression against other nations in the region.

The Filipino people must stand against this imperialist subterfuge behind the veil of “disaster training,” and demand an end to U.S. military intervention, deployment of troops, stockpiling of U,S. weapons, endless war exercises and provocations.

#International #Philippines #Marcos #AFP #NDFP #CPP

San Francsico, CA – On July 28, over 350 activists rallied outside the Philippines consulate in San Francisco for the People’s State of the Nation Address. The PSONA is an annual event meant to contrast with the state of the nation address given by Philippines President Ferdinand “Bong-bong” Marcos Junior. The PSONA addresses the struggles faced by Filipino workers both at home and abroad, and the neglect that the Marcos administration has for the people it claims to protect.

This year’s PSONA focused heavily on how the consulates have failed to support Filipino migrant workers facing deportations and ICE attacks, along with President Marcos’ close collaboration with the racist, warmongering, anti-immigrant Trump administration. The Philippine consulate in San Francisco was blasted for its refusal to aid migrant workers, even encouraging many to self-deport.

The program of the PSONA included speakers from the Tanggol Migrante movement, BAYAN USA, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), Gabriela, Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students and the Malaya movement.

Chants and slogans emphasized the complicity of the comprador Marcos regime, such as “Marcos, traydor, tuta ni Trump!” Meaning “Marcos, traitor, lapdog of Trump!” as well as “Sino, sino, sino ang terrorista? Si Marcos, si Trump, sila ang terrorista!” meaning “Who, who, who are the terrorists? Marcos, Trump, they are the terrorists!”

Patrick Racela of Migrante NorCal gave an introductory speech to start out the program, calling out President Marcos directly, stating, “How is it that you can come to the United States and claim that you are serving the people, when in essence what you have done is bow down to Trump, and sell out our homeland? Shame!”

Brandon Lee, chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, a longtime activist and fighter in the Filipino activist movement, also joined the program. Lee was the target of an assassination attempt from the Philippine military, which had left him crippled. He has continued to organize for justice and human rights in the Philippines and participated in the PSONA to call out the Philippine consulate in SF. Lee criticized the consulate for its refusal to allow him into the building to deliver letters from the community demanding that the Philippine commission on human rights reopen his case.

“The Philippines has long been one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid in Southeast Asia, for bombs, ammunition and other equipment, supposedly to counter external threats. However in reality, this has been used for its internal military operations, to bomb and strafe communities, and kill Filipinos,” said Lee. “Across the Philippines, many communities are losing their livelihoods, and homes, in the name of so-called ‘development projects,’ causing environmental destruction.”

Other speakers shed light on the difficulties faced by Filipino migrant workers, who received no help and support from the Philippine consulates on their arrival to the U.S. Kuya Jay, chairperson of Migrante San Francisco shared his personal experiences. “Many of us left the Philippines to support our families. But what we found when we got here was far from what we hoped for. I slept in a storage room. We didn’t have proper meals. We didn’t receive overtime pay. We worked day and night – and were treated as if we didn’t deserve rest, or even a voice.”

“Why are Filipinos forced to leave our country in the first place? It’s not because we want to leave, it’s because we are forced to,” said Rachel Lucero, an organizer with Malaya SF. “It’s because of the conditions in the Philippines. Since Marcos Junior took office, 3 million more Filipinos are living in poverty. The number of hungry families has doubled. And when our people try to fight back against their conditions, they are met with violence! Shame!”

KC Avilla, an organizer for Malaya San Francisco told the crowd, “Marcos Jr. is protecting himself, and his own family's power. He knows that the next person that we will come after for corruption is him.“

Andan Bonifacio, chairperson of Bayan USA, closed out with a speech reaffirming the Filipino people’s dedication to fighting back. “Real change will never come from the likes of Marcos. Real change will never come from the likes of the Dutertes. It’ll come from us, the people. It won’t come trying to serve the interests of the foreign imperialists. It’ll come from us, learning and fighting to stand on our own two feet.”

Although attacks against Filipino migrant workers escalate under the Trump administration in the U.S, whilst the Marcos administration continues to oppress and exploit the Filipino people while acting as a puppet for U.S. interests, the Filipino people are not sitting idly by. Filipino organizations are ready to struggle and fight for victory over reaction, whether it is found in the puppet Marcos regime in the Philippines, or in the tyrannical Trump administration here in the U.S.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines #Bayan #Marcos #BongBong #PSONA #Malaya

“By summoning Marcos, Trump aims to secure U.S. economic and military interests in the Philippines,” said Marco Valbuena, chief information officer of the CPP. Valbuena said Trump wants assurances that U.S. exports to the Philippines will not be met with counter-tariffs in response to his push to raise tariffs on all imports to the U.S., and that the U.S. military will be allowed greater and expanded presence in the Philippines.

The planned visit was first announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the ASEAN Regional Forum and the U.S.-Philippines-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meetings held July 9 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was later confirmed by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.

“Trump plans to use the recently announced 20% tariff on Philippine exports as leverage to exact even bigger deals with the Philippines in favor of U.S. interests,” added Valbuena. “It is certain that Marcos’ state visit to the U.S. and scheduled talk with Trump will shape his policy declarations that are to be delivered during his upcoming SONA.”

“Consistent with his record of subservience to the U.S., Marcos will undoubtedly assure Trump that American electronics and so-called green energy investments in the Philippines will be given favorable policies including tax-free operations and the zero-tariff importation,” added Valbuena. “In his SONA, Marcos is sure to declare more programs and policies on liberalization, privatization, deregulation and denationalization as dictated by the U.S.”

“The incoming 20th Congress lorded over by bureaucrat capitalists, and representatives of big bourgeois compradors and big landlords, are set to applaud and welcome Marcos’ U.S.-dictated policy declarations, and pass legislation to support U.S. imperialist interests,” the CPP officer said.

“These policies will deepen the neocolonial economic status of the Philippines and cause the dispossession of more and more Filipinos as plunderous American and other multinational corporations take away their land and sources of livelihood,” said Valbuena.

“The Marcos state visit to the U.S. will also serve to assure the U.S. of unimpeded access to the Philippines, in line with its aim of using the country as a war logistics hub, playground for war exercises, and springboard for military operations in the region,” Valbuena added.

He pointed out how tens of thousands of U.S. troops are now almost permanently stationed in U.S. military facilities in the Philippines, conducting successive and non-stop military maneuvers in line with its Indo-Pacific Strategy of “containing” China’s growth.” He noted, “U.S. military presence and war exercises heighten tensions in the region and impede the peaceful resolution of maritime conflicts between the Philippines and China.”

“In the face of U.S. war instigations that endanger the lives and safety of the Filipino people and violate the country’s national sovereignty, it is incumbent upon the Filipino people to unite and stand up against Marcos’ puppetry to the U.., imperialists,” he added

#Manila #Philippines #International #Marcos #Trump #CPP

Despite General Romeo Brawner’s repeated denials, he cannot deny that he is a “proxy general” of a “proxy army” currently used by the U.S. to instigate war against China.

“General Brawner and Secretary Teodoro’s reasons that they are not proxies because they are Filipinos are weak and hollow,” said Valbuena. “They are called proxies not because they are Americans, but because they have an American mindset and are used by Americans in the conflict with China.”

“They are like Ukraine President Zelensky, who is a U.S. proxy used in the war against Russia, with U.S.-provided weapons and technology,” Valbuena added. “This is what the AFP is currently doing, heating up tensions in Taiwan.”

“Our neighbors in the ASEAN are not blind to the AFP and its generals’ obsequiousness to the direction and plans of the U.S.,” said Valbuena. “The U.S. uses the Philippines as a dumping ground for troops and weapons as part of war preparations, which causes unrest among our neighbors.”

#International #Philippines #ASEAN #Marcos #AntiWarMovement

Brussels, Belgium – A packed house of several hundred people witnessed a dramatic legal proceeding this past weekend. May 18 and 19. An International People’s Tribunal was held, initiated by the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and the Friends of the Filipino People in Struggle.

In its conclusion, the tribunal named Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former President Rodrigo Duterte, U.S. President Joe Biden and the U.S. government all guilty of charges of war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law.

Over two days, testimony was presented by activists and victims from different parts of The Philippines about violence, torture and murder committed by the Armed Forces of The Philippines (AFP), or by paramilitary groups working under the direction of the government.

The organizers of the tribunal described these violence acts as war crimes. Experts opened the weekend explaining that there is, in fact, a war taking place in the Philippines. The government in Manila is carrying out a counterinsurgency strategy, and even using a counterinsurgency guide designed in Washington against the guerilla New People’s Army (NPA).

International legal experts, occupied communities combine efforts

The tribunal included distinguished attorneys with expertise in international law. Some acted as jurors, others as prosecutors. Heading the panel of jurors was Professor Lennox Hinds. Formerly the U.S. attorney for Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress, Hinds also represented Assata Shakur, and was a founding member of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

The other jurors included Suzanne Adely, President of the National Lawyers Guild (U.S.); Severine De Laveleye of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium; Julen Arzuraga Gumuzio of the Basque Parliament; and Archbishop Joris Vercamen, former member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.

Much of the two days consisted of emotionally jarring testimony of torture, extrajudicial killings, mutilation of the bodies of political activists, and attempted murder of other activists.

One dramatic video statement came from Brandon Lee, a U.S. citizen who survived an assassination attempt by members of the AFP in 2019. Multiple gun shots left Lee paralyzed from the chest down. He recounted how the military threatened him over the course of several years to end his advocacy for the rights of the indigenous Cordillera people he was working among. Like his adopted countrymen, Lee refused to back down in the face of tyranny.

Another witness was Eufemia Cullamat, an elected member of the House of Representatives from the Bayan Muna slate, and a leader of the indigenous Manobo tribe.

Her daughter, Jevilyn Cullamat, was killed by the AFP in 2020 in Surigao del Sur, Mindanao. Eufemia Cullamat learned about it on Twitter, when soldiers used photos of Jevelyn’s dead body like a trophy, posing her with a rifle in her hands. Her daughter was reportedly a medic with the NPA.

Cullamat also reported how in 2015, the AFP carried out the Lianga massacre of their community. Jevelyn witnessed the killing of her Uncle Dionel and Grandfather Jovillo.

After the first day of testimony, reflecting on the activists who struggled through their anguish to get on the historic record, Professor Hinds commented, “What we see is a community resisting.”

Background: Two figures from Philippines revolutionary history

To put the human rights violations in context, testimony was presented by Juliet De Lima, head of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiating panel for the stalled peace talks with the government in Manila. De Lima noted that there is an underlying objective for the heinous crimes of the regime in the logic of counterinsurgency: to “Drain the water to expose the fish.”

The NDFP is the revolutionary united front organization of the Filipino people fighting for national freedom and for the democratic rights of the people. It includes the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army. The AFP typically justifies the atrocities it commits against civilian activists they have targeted by claiming they are members of the NPA.

Early on in the tribunal, Connie Ledesma, also a member of the negotiating panel for the NDFP, explained why the national democratic movement has committed to a peace process with the government in Manila. For almost four decades the government and the NDFP have been engaged in peace negotiations. “From the perspective of the NDFP this could be a viable arena to achieve basic social, economic and political reforms in Philippine society,” Ledesma explained, and noted that the negotiations have resulted in 38 major agreements and joint statements.

Tribunal: Justice through solidarity

Prosecutors and jurors explained that while they use the laws that govern war and international human rights, the impact of the tribunal is political. The tribunal has no power to sentence Marcos, Duterte, or Biden to prison.

On the other hand, as has been seen in the case of the Gaza genocide being carried out by the U.S. and Israel, the court systems – whether in the Philippines, the U.S., or in existing international accountability structures like the International Court of Justice – are influenced by imperialist interests.

The International People’s Tribunal gives a voice to the oppressed Filipino people and can be used to help the national liberation movement, the peasants, indigenous people and workers to exact accountability on their oppressors. The national democratic forces know that it is the solidarity of those groups, along with youth and students, that will hold accountable the bureaucrat capitalists.

But a story from the solidarity movement with South Africa is worth recalling. Edward Said, the Palestinian intellectual, wrote in his 2000 book, The End of the Peace Process, about a visit with Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu of the African National Congress (ANC) in 1991.

Said had gone to see them to learn about using international boycott, divestment and sanction tactics against apartheid. Speaking with Sisulu, at that time the head of the ANC, Said writes, “He paused for a moment and then said something that I shall never forget as long as I live: ‘Every victory that we registered in London, or Glasgow, or Iowa City, or Toulouse, or Berlin, or Stockholm gave the people at home a sense of hope, and renewed their determination not to give up the struggle.’”

The International People’s Tribunal in Brussels is a victory for the people in Bicol, Cota Bato, Panay, Surigao del Sur. The legal process of collecting and presenting evidence of international human rights abuses and war crimes will be a tool to end the repression that emanates from Manilla.

#International #Philippines #Duterte #Marcos #NPA #IADL #FFPS #Belgium #Feature

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following Mach 29 statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today directed the New People’s Army (NPA) to mount tactical offensives that it is capable of winning as it wages a war of active defense to frustrate the brutal campaign of encirclement and suppression being waged by the US-Marcos regime, and shatter the reign of terror of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the countryside.

The Party’s directive was contained in a statement by the Central Committee issued today on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the New People’s Army.

According to the CPP Central Committee, all regional committees of the Party and NPA commands at levels have welcomed the call for rectification movement issued by the Central Committee last December, to correct past errors in order to strengthen the people’s resistance against worsening oppression under the US-Marcos regime.

In fulfilling the directive of mounting tactical offensives, the NPA takes military and political initiative by way of rectifying past errors and overcome the problem of military passivity which resulted from the intertwined problems of conservatism, complacency and self-constriction.

The CPP said the NPA, along with the people’s militias, must carry out all possible kinds of tactical offensives employing all kinds of weapons in the hands of the guerrilla forces and the people, from rocks, machetes, booby traps, rifles and land mines and all sort of weapons that the people can craft.

Units of the NPA and the people’s militias can lay out an ambush against the enemy’s reconnaissance units, perimeter defense or supply lines, attack his isolated outposts, carry out disarming, sniping, demolition, partisan and arrest operations, impose sanctions, mete out justice on counterrevolutionaries and criminal antisocial elements, and so on.

In mounting these tactical offensives, the NPA must aim to seize the enemy’s rifles and war matériel, destroy its supply and communication lines, immobilize their land, air and sea assets, disrupt its plans or blocking its advance, and drawing away its attention from the main direction and plans of the main forces of the NPA.

The CPP underscored that the NPA favors launching basic tactical offensives that weakens the enemy by annihilating its armed forces piece by piece, and takes away its weapons in order that we can arm more recruits and mount even bigger tactical offensives in the future.

#International #Philippines #CPP #NPA #Marcos