The US government announcement of its intention to return the Balangiga Bells around December all amounts to deceit and hypocrisy since it is not to be accompanied with an official US apology for its brutal colonization of the Philippines and crimes committed during the Filipino-American war.
The bells were taken as war booty by US military forces from the town church of Balangiga, Eastern Samar in September 28, 1901. This was after setting Samar into a “howling wilderness” where American soldiers went on a frenzy of murder killing every male above 10 in retaliation for the uprising of the people of Balangiga against American colonial abuses.
The return of the Balangiga Bells has long been demanded by the Filipino people as part of their quest for justice over the grave crimes committed by the US colonial forces during the Filipino-American war. Several hundred thousand Filipinos were killed in a brutal act of aggression and occupation against the newly-found nation and war to suppress the Filipino people’s revolutionary resistance.
It is grieviously hypocritical for the US to return the Balangiga Bells without a modicum of apology. To return the bells as supposed “symbols of peace” aim only to placate the Filipino people. It will serve as a false gesture of “friendship and alliance” to obscure the fact that the Philippines remains an American semicolony and continues to suffer from US economic domination and policy-dictates, political interference and military interventionism.
The US imperialists perpetuate their hegemony in the country through its Philippine client-state. The strongest pillar of US power in the Philippines is the Armed Forces of the Philippines which it established, continues to train, indoctrinate, arm and direct to suppress the patriotic forces which challenge US imperialist domination in the country.
The Duterte regime, behind all its anti-US pretensions, is actually cooperative with US strategy to project military power in the Pacific region, while allowing China to strengthen its military presence in South China Sea, to the detriment of Philippine sovereignty. Twice over, Duterte is a traitor to the Filipino people.
In exchange for measly sums of military aid, Duterte has allowed to US to fortify its military foothold in the Philippines by setting up military bases and facilities inside AFP camps and expand its military presence through increased number of military exercises. Duterte has reaffirmed commitment to all unequal military treaties such as the MDT, VFA and the EDCA. It has followed the US baton in declaring the CPP and NPA as “terrorists” to serve the pretext for US involvment in counter-guerrilla operations under the US’ Operation Pacific Eagle – Philippines (OPE-P).
The bells were taken as war booty by US military forces from the town church of Balangiga, Eastern Samar in September 28, 1901. This was after setting Samar into a “howling wilderness” where American soldiers went on a frenzy of murder killing every male above 10 in retaliation for the uprising of the people of Balangiga against American colonial abuses.
The return of the Balangiga Bells has long been demanded by the Filipino people as part of their quest for justice over the grave crimes committed by the US colonial forces during the Filipino-American war. Several hundred thousand Filipinos were killed in a brutal act of aggression and occupation against the newly-found nation and war to suppress the Filipino people’s revolutionary resistance.
It is grieviously hypocritical for the US to return the Balangiga Bells without a modicum of apology. To return the bells as supposed “symbols of peace” aim only to placate the Filipino people. It will serve as a false gesture of “friendship and alliance” to obscure the fact that the Philippines remains an American semicolony and continues to suffer from US economic domination and policy-dictates, political interference and military interventionism.
The US imperialists perpetuate their hegemony in the country through its Philippine client-state. The strongest pillar of US power in the Philippines is the Armed Forces of the Philippines which it established, continues to train, indoctrinate, arm and direct to suppress the patriotic forces which challenge US imperialist domination in the country.
The Duterte regime, behind all its anti-US pretensions, is actually cooperative with US strategy to project military power in the Pacific region, while allowing China to strengthen its military presence in South China Sea, to the detriment of Philippine sovereignty. Twice over, Duterte is a traitor to the Filipino people.
In exchange for measly sums of military aid, Duterte has allowed to US to fortify its military foothold in the Philippines by setting up military bases and facilities inside AFP camps and expand its military presence through increased number of military exercises. Duterte has reaffirmed commitment to all unequal military treaties such as the MDT, VFA and the EDCA. It has followed the US baton in declaring the CPP and NPA as “terrorists” to serve the pretext for US involvment in counter-guerrilla operations under the US’ Operation Pacific Eagle – Philippines (OPE-P).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.