Resist the Reestablishment of US Military Bases in the Philippines
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Pahayagan ng Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas ANG Pinapatnubayan ng Marxismo-Leninismo-Maoismo English Edition Vol LVII No. 10 May 21, 2011 www.philippinerevolution.net Editorial Resist the reestablishment of US military bases in the Philippines he Philippines is now a vast US military base. ered fleet was permitted entry manifests the ab- This point was driven home when the US sence of an independent Philippine foreign poli- TNorth Arabian fleet docked at Manila Bay cy and the country's subservience to US interests. from May 15 to 18. In allowing US warships to dock in the country, The fleet, which serves as the US' base of op- the Aquino government has sent the world the erations against Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya message that the Philippines will always be on is composed of four ships—the USS Carl Vinson, the US side, whatever war the latter chooses to the USS Shiloh, the USS Bunker Hill and the USS wage or engage in. Gridley—and has a personnel of 25,000. The en- Aquino's unannounced and unscheduled tire fleet is nuclear-powered and in all likehood, boarding of the US ship reinforces speculations carries nuclear weapons. It is from this fleet that that secret discussions are underway about US the US launched its operation to assassinate plans to reestablish its military facilities in the Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 1. The fleet Philippines. As recently as April 26, two US sena- brought his body to the open sea where it was tors came to the Philippines to inquire about the later thrown overboard. state of their former military base in Subic Bay, In violation of diplomatic protocols, an Amer- Olongapo. The US has long been looking for an ican jetfighter flew US puppet Benigno Aquino III alternative site in the face of strong and relent- to the USS Carl Vinson while the fleet was still in less protests against its military base in Okinawa international waters. Aquino and his staff were and the abuses committed by its troops stationed later shown aboard the ship and all agog over a in Japan. display of US military might by their imperialist The US is master. In coming aboard a US warship, Aquino going allout demonstrated his contempt for the opposition to in strength- the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the presence ening its pres- of American troops in the country and their abus- ence in the Asia- es against the Filipino people. Pacific. It is seri- Thousands of American soldiers entered Philippine territory as the fleet docked at Manila Bay. The participation of American troops in games and other "friendly" activi- ties effectively camouflaged other more insidious and illegal activities that were of an interventionist nature and violative of the country's sovereignty. The American war fleet's docking at Manila Bay once more brings to the fore the US' use of the Philippines as one big military base. The fact that a nuclear-pow- This issue’s Rivalry within the NPA punishes foreign Landgrabbing highlights... Aquino clique PAGE 3 mining firm PAGE 5 in Palawan PAGE 6 ously concerned with the fact Smith and his "detention" with- that China has been beefing up in US embassy grounds despite its military capability. In his having been convicted of 2008, China was able to raping a Filipina in Su- build a submarine base at bic Bay in 2005. the edge of Hainan Island, The US like- which is near the major wise brazenly in- commercial sea routes of tervenes in the Southeast Asia. The US es- Philippines to timates that the base is suppress the capable of accommodat- progressive and ing up to 20 subma- revolutionary rines, including a movement new type capable of against US imperialism and its launching nuclear bal- taining the puppet regime. More than 700 listic missiles. ease by which it is able American troops under the To counter China's to use the Philippines as an op- Joint Special Operations Task growing military presence in erational launching pad, source Force-Philippines (JSOTFP) of the region, former US Pacific of supplies, training ground and the US Pacific Fleet are perma- Fleet commander Adm. James repair station. As in the past, nently stationed in Camp Na- Lyons has recommended closer the US continues to use the varro in Zamboanga City. The ties with the US’ allied regimes Philippines as a docking station JSOTFP is a US military agency in the Asia-Pacific. He particu- for its ships and troops—not that directs the course of the larly recommended the estab- only those operating in the counterrevolutionary war in the lishment of "high-level mili- Asia-Pacific but also those de- Philippines. It conducts intelli- tary ties" with the Philippines ployed in the Middle East and gence work, provides informa- and leasing to the country a North Africa. tion to the AFP and actually squadron of F-16 jetfighers as The Philippines remains a participates in military opera- well as warships as part of ef- "favorite" spot for US military tions within guerrilla fronts forts to address the Chinese basing because it is ruled by ob- against the armed revolution- threat. Plans by the Armed For- seqious puppet regimes. ary forces. ces of the Philippines (AFP) to Through the VFA, American The Philippines' neocoloni- purchase submarines in the troops are able to freely enter al status is emphasized with name of modernization fall and operate within the country every instance of US interven- within this framework. beyond the purview of local tion and trampling of the For the US, the Philippines laws. US domination over the country's sovereignty. The US remains valuable to its military Philippines was demonstrated is hellbent on maintaining the strategy in the Asia-Pacific. with the forcible transfer of cus- Philippines as a neocolony not Thus the importance of main- tody over Lance Corporal Daniel only to be able to use it as a base in pursuit of its military strategy but to continue ex- ANG Contents ploiting its natural resources and the cheap labor of Filipino workers. Vol XLII No. 10 May 21, 2011 Editorial: Resist the reestablishment As the US confronts the in- Ang Bayan is published in Pilipino, of US bases 1 Bisaya, Iloko, Hiligaynon, Waray and ternational capitalist crisis, it English editions. Rivalry within the Aquino clique 3 will surely guard more zealously It is available for downloading at Liberalizing mining 4 its political, military and eco- the Philippine Revolution Web Central located at: NPA punishes mine company 5 nomic interests in the Philip- www.philippinerevolution.net pines, to the detriment of the Ang Bayan welcomes contributions Landgrabbing in Palawan 6 Filipino people. in the form of articles and news. Readers are likewise enjoined to send AFP anomalies 7 The Filipino people must in their comments and suggestions for Cops shoot Anakbayan leader 7 therefore fire up their patriot- the betterment of our publication. You ism. Their struggle for nation- can reach us by email at: AFP lies 8 al liberation is intimately [email protected] News 9 linked to their struggle for so- Ang Bayan is published fortnightly by the Central Committee cial justice and people's de- of the Communist Party of the Philippines mocracy. ~ 2 ANG BAYAN May 21, 2011 Aquino will feel compelled to Take advantage expose what they know of the anomalies, the corruption and of the worsening rifts abuses of officials within the ruling clique. within the Aquino camp The unravelling of the Aqui- no clique due to intense rival- ries for the spoils of power is fter barely a year in power, there already are gaping cracks weakening its rule. The Filipino in the US-Aquino regime's rule. The rifts among the various people are severely dismayed to Aforces that supported Benigno Aquino III during the 2010 see the favors and privileges en- elections are threatening to weaken the already tenuous unity joyed by the Kamag-anak, Kak- within the ruling clique. lase and Kaibigan Inc. while the During his candidacy in signed a variety of high-profile toiling masses are barely able to 2010, Aquino was able to unite roles. cope with the burdens of crisis. a broad spectrum of forces Malacañang's legal team is Unemployment continues to ranging from reactionary politi- still busy manufacturing a new grow. Prices of goods and servi- cians, big businessmen and re- position for Roxas where he ces are skyrocketing. The worker formist groups. But since his as- could serve as Aquino's alter ego. and peasant masses and even cension to power, Aquino has Aquino's fevered efforts to cata- the middle forces are very much been hard put trying to pay off pult Roxas to such a position has hard up. All Aquino has had to everyone who supported and caused resentment among the offer are band-aid solutions like rode on his campaign by, among other factions, especially since it the "pantawid pasada" and the others, providing juicy positions would mean sidelining other key conditional cash transfer. De- in government and awarding lu- Aquino officials. spite mouthing the slogan of crative contracts. Aside from Roxas, Aquino al- "peace," repression, brutality He has not been able to so plans on appointing other and other violations of human spread out such favors equally. losing candidates to his cabi- rights continue without letup Thus, even before Aquino could net. But to do this, Aquino must especially in the countryside warm his seat of power, resent- get rid of other members of his against those who have been ments and disappointments had clique, which is a surefire way opposing and taking action already arisen among his allied to fuel their anger.