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Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Speak out: Phil-Am friendship
By Lana Linaban
Gabriela
A friendship with someone who robs your wealth and rapes your sister. This is how the militant women’s group Gabriela depicts the Philippines-United States relationship, as both countries commemorate today the 60th year of the Filipino-American Friendship Day.
A twisted kind of friendship, that is the relationship between the US and Philippine Government. A deceitful ally, this is who the American Government is to us, contrary to what the Arroyo government wants us to believe.
From the painful memories of the Filipino-American war, where more than a million Filipinos were killed, up to the Subic rape incident—none had spelled friendship.
Let us not forget that on July 4, 1946, the US Government stole our nation’s sovereignty from our ancestors who arduously fought for independence.
The US has continuously made us believe in a sham independence while it subjugates us economically and politically with the help of our puppet presidents, the latest of whom is Arroyo.
The rape of our fellow Filipina is exacerbated by the fact that, because of the lopsided Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), our rights to criminal jurisdiction over the case have been violated and we were robbed again of our sovereignty as Filipinos and as a nation. Because of the VFA, the victim, Nicole (not her real name), and the rest of the Filipino nation continue to be denied justice.
Broader venues
Worse, the Philippine Government recently entered into an agreement with the US, allowing the latter broader venues for military intervention and exercise of military power through the Security Engagement Board (SEB).
The SEB, an agreement which concerns nontraditional security issues like terrorism, transnational crimes, threats to maritime safety, natural and manmade disasters and pandemic outbreaks like bird flu, only paves the way for interference in our country’s political and economic affairs.
Gabriela also condemns the US for the 500 sexual assaults committed by US servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2002, as reported by Miles Foundation, a group that tracks sexual crimes in the military.
This demonstrates the appalling record of US military abuses and violence in many parts of the world, including the Philippines. And because of the twisted sense of friendship to nations, the US goes unpunished for its crimes against peoples.
In the name of friendship and solidarity with women all over the world, Gabriela vows to continue opposing US military intervention and wars of aggression, and to demand justice for all victims of US crimes and violence, no matter how painstaking it would take.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 4, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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