Militants’ independence day protests target China, US

From GMA News (Jun 11): Militants’ independence day protests target China, US

As the nation marks its 117th Independence Day on Friday, militants will hold protest actions in the cities of Makati and Manila, targeting China and the United States.

Umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said the protests are in defense of national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement, Bayan added the rallies, to be held in response to a call by Pilipinong Nagkakaisa para sa Soberanya (P1NAS), will involve a caravan from Makati City – where the Chinese consulate is located - to the US Embassy.

The caravan is to start 10:30 a.m.

Bayan added it will lead demonstrations in the Philippines and abroad – including New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in the US, as well as Europe, Hong Kong, and Canada.

"No one will defend Philippine sovereignty except Filipinos. The Filipino people must rise up and be heard. Today we send a message to China and the US that we will not allow our country to be the rope in a vicious imperialist tug-of-war in Southeast Asia. We will not allow foreign powers to tear apart our country," said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr.

“The Philippines is caught between two rival imperialist powers, neither of whom respect our sovereignty and national interest. China is a fast rising imperialist power that is determined to rob us of waters and islands that belong to our exclusive economic zone and extended continental shelf. The US on the other hand seeks to exploit the situation so that it could justify the return of US bases in the Philippines as part of its pivot to Asia,” he added.

Reclamation

Bayan said it expects Friday’s protest to be the biggest one yet in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati City.

It said this is amid massive reclamation efforts in areas of the South China Sea, some parts of which Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

The militants also noted incidents of harassment of Filipino fishermen by Chinese patrol boats.

Also, Bayan scored the Philippine government for failing to undertake needed measures to defend Philippine sovereignty.

“It has become the policy of this government to rely on foreign powers to uphold the most basic thing such as sovereignty. It has no strategic plan for developing the economy and our capacity for external defense. It has no independent foreign policy. It relies on quick fixes such as involving other imperialist powers such as US and Japan who have their own agendas,” Reyes said.

“The defense of sovereignty is a strategic matter that cannot be entrusted to foreign powers with their own narrow agendas. If we are to ever stand on our own two feet, if we are ever to be self-reliant, we have to start now. We have to start upholding the national and democratic interests of our people,” he added.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/502290/news/nation/militants-independence-day-protests-target-china-us