Protesters take to the streets of Cagayan de Oro City against the planned conversion of Lumbia airport there into an American military facility. Photographed by Erwin Mascariñas, InterAksyon
An estimated 2,500 marching protesters took to the streets here on Saturday afternoon, culminating in a rally to protest the planned construction of a United States military facility under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
"This Northern Mindanao region people's march is to manifest our condemnation for the proposed plan to use the Lumbia Airport as a United States (US) military facility under the EDCA agreement with the PNoy administration. It is a sad reality, though, because, today, we also commemorate the 116th victory of our heroes against the colonizing Americans during the Battle of Makahambus Hill, a huge insult to our fallen heroes who had shed blood in the battle field," said Wildon Baron of Bayan-Northern Mindanao chapter.
"Instead of protecting us, this facility will only endanger our security, since we will also become a target of the enemies of the US, who are not exactly our enemies as well," he added.
Bishop Beamboy Labuntog of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) representing the Ecumenical Bishops Forum/Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), the largest ecumenical peace movement of Church leaders in the Philippines, shared insights as to why they are not in favor of the EDCA agreement.
"We at the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, which comprises not only Bishops from the Roman Catholic Church but all other churches, are unified with everyone in the call against the plan to implement EDCA not only here in Cagayan de Oro City but throughout the entire country. A few days from now, our country will celebrate Independence Day, but the presence of US military facility here in our home doesn't allow us to claim that we have sovereignty. The facility will be a symbol of the US presence that will dominate and dictate how our country is being governed," said Labuntog.
"They will take part in both covert and overt military operations within our land, their presence will also endanger the people living near the facility, as the place becomes a target and source of danger to our women and children, as they would also become victims of exploitation," Labuntog concluded.
On Women and the Youth
"The Gabriela Women's Alliance and Gabriela Partylist have reasons why we don't want EDCA: This will lead to the rise in prostitution, and the women who would become victims of the trade. Most of our women, sadly, see the Americans as saviors, but we all know this will only lead to more of them becoming victims, leading to prostitution, and most of them would just be promised a good life then left alone after they get pregnant. A prime example of these are what happened in the former US bases in Clark and Subic. We also fear that it will lead to the rise in the incidence of HIV/AIDS, which is already high in Cagayan de Oro City. And the saddest part is to see the children who will all be left behind without support from their fathers," said Rhodora Bulosan of Gabriela Northern Mindanao.
Kristine Cabardo of the League of Filipino Students, Northern Mindanao pointed out why many among the youth sector are against EDCA: "This is an added challenge to our youth and to everyone that we should stand for our own national sovereignty. We should shout louder and really should try our very best to make the majority of people understand why we are against EDCA and the perils it carries with it."
"First and foremost: To use Lumbia airport as part of a US base is a violation of our own sovereignty as a nation. That's why we call on the youth both in and out of school to join in our move to junk EDCA and to reject the use of Lumbia airport as a US military base, as we fear more women and the youth will become victims once US servicemen will be based here."
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ERWIN MASCARIÑAS, InterAksyon
Artists role play the symbolic bondage of locals to an American soldier.
Indigenous People or Lumad join the march papier machete props to represent their struggle.
Hundreds of protesters march to protest the planned US military facility in Cagayan de Oro City.
Students from various schools show give out their support to the call against the US military facility.
Performers from Bukidnon give their interpretative dance during the protest rally.
http://interaksyon.com/article/128707/2500-protesters-march-against-edca-us-military-facility
This is Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) front group anti-US military propaganda activity. Most of the groups mentioned in the article are known CPP front organizations and many of the anti-US military themes date back to the CPP's anti-bases campaign in the 1980s-early 1990s.
ReplyDeleteThe Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN-New Patriotic Alliance) is the main CPP umbrella front organization with chapters active throughout the Philippines.
GABRIELA (General Assembly Binding Women for Reform, Integrity, Equality, Leadership, and Action) is a sectoral front for women and is a member of BAYAN.
Gabriela Partylist or Gabriela Women's Party (GWP) is the political spinoff from the sectoral front.
The League of Filipino Students (LFS) is a sectoral front for university/college students. LFS is also a member of BAYAN.
The Ecumenical Bishops Forum/Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) appears to be a group of clergy that is sympathetic to, and cooperate with, CPP front organizations in opposing the US military presence in the Philippines.