CLARK FREEPORT -- The militant Anakpawis Party-list has challenged President Benigno Aquino III to defend national sovereignty against Chinese intrusion and stop being a puppet of powerful countries such as the United States and Japan.
The political party at the same time expressed support to the people's protest led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) at the Chinese Embassy in Makati city that demanded "Defend Sovereignty, China out of Philippine waters!"
"Malakas ang loob ng China na pasukin ang teritoryo ng bansa dahil kilala nila si Aquino na hindi kayang magtanggol at tuta lang ito ng mga dayuhang bansa," (China is daring to encroach into the country's territory because they know Aquino is incapable of resisting as he is just a lackey of foreign countries), Anakpawis Representative Fernando "Ka Pando" Hicap said.
Anakpawis also lambasted Aquino's statement during his state visit to Japan, which compared China's current actions in the West Philippine Sea to Germany's aggressive moves in Europe prior to the outbreak of World War II.
"Mukhang revised yung history na pinag-aralan ni Aquino, hindi yata nakalagay ang American colonization sa bansa at ang Japanese occupation noong World War II" (It seems that Aquino had learned a much revised version of history that omitted American colonization and Japanese occupation during World War II)," Hicap said.
Anakpawis said that American colonialism killed at least 200,000 Filipinos in 1899 to 1902 while the Japanese invasion killed at least a million, historical facts that Aquino has forgotten since he is aligned with US and Japan.
The group added that even as there is a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and US since 1951, the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the 2001 Mutual Logistic Support Agreement (MLSA), the annual Balikatan Military Exercises since 2001 and Aquino’s Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), these did not prevent the Chinese incursion and construction of structures in the West Philippine sea.
Hicap said Aquino has long been wooing Japanese investors to the point that he even ignored the arrival honors of the killed 44 members of PNP-SAF at Villamor Air Base just to be present in the inauguration of a Japanese automotive plant in Laguna.
The Anakpawis representative claimed that it has been Aquino’s policy to keep the Filipino workers’ wages depressed so that foreign capitalists such as the Japanese could exploit labor and enjoy astronomical rates of profit.
“Hinahamon namin si Aquino na ipagtanggol ang pambansang soberenya laban sa China sa pamamagitan ng pagputol sa mga estratehikong pang-ekonomiyang interes nito tulad ng pagmimina at investment sa NGCP,” (We challenge Aquino to defend national sovereignty against China by shutting down the operation of Chinese big business and strategic economic projects in Philippine territorys such as mining concessions and investments in the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines), Hicap said.
Major Chinese mining operations are located in Zambales such as the Wei-Wei Group’s US$100-million nickel processing plant in Masinloc town, and Jiangxi Rare Earth and Rare Metals Tungsten Group Co. Ltd. with US$150 million nickel exploration and cobalt processing plant.
The Jiangxi company is owned by the Chinese government and is mining for nickel. The Philippines is China’s No. 1 source of nickel ore, with Indonesia a close second. It has been reported that nickel super-alloys are a critical component in advanced jet engines and are used in the engines of 5th generation jet fighters, according to the group.
Hicap called on various sectors to assert national sovereignty by promoting self-reliance, implementation of fundamental reforms and building of strategic national industries, instead of hopelessly putting the fate of the country’s economy to foreign powers.