BAYAN USA condemns the planned $100 million US military aid package to the Philippines. US Imperialism has proven itself complicit in and an active instigator of the ever worsening human rights crisis in the Philippines.
The Biden administration is no better than its predecessors. Since coming into office, Biden has remained completely silent on the deadly legacy of the Marcos dynasty and the grave human rights situation in the Philippines. During Marcos Jr.’s visit to the US in September, Biden met with the son of a dictator in order to solidify the Marcos regime’s continued support for the US imperialist agenda in Asia Pacific. The US hasn’t ceased to view the archipelago as its launching pad in the region to host more troops and project its military might against rival China.
According to the Philippines Embassy, the Philippines is the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Asia Pacific region. Since 2015, the US has delivered more than $1.14 billion worth of planes, armored vehicles, small arms, and other military equipment and training to the Philippines.
Additionally, the Philippines is looking to buy heavy-lift Chinook helicopters from the US, which are manufactured by the war-mongering corporation, Boeing. Instead of providing much needed aid and economic relief to the Filipino people, the Marcos regime is raising its military spending to new heights to buy more arms and surveillance equipment in attempts to crush the revolutionary movement in the Philippines. Marcos’ latest budget shows defense spending at a whopping Php240. 29 billion (US $4.28 billion), an 8% increase from the previous year. This compared to the deplorable Php1 billion (US $17 million) set aside for aid towards overseas nationals.
The US is complicit in feeding state terrorism by shelling out millions of US taxpayers’ dollars to finance its bloody deeds while making profits via arms deals. We have not forgotten the countless cases of extrajudicial killings, military occupation of indigenous and peasant communities, red-tagging and other abuses under the murderous Duterte regime, and now continuing under Marcos Jr. It is no wonder why so many people are taking up arms and fighting in a civil war to free themselves from the yokes of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism. It is only by addressing the three root problems of the Philippines that there can be true peace.
In Congress, the Philippine Human Rights Act (PHRA) has been introduced, which seeks to restrict US military aid to the Philippines and investigate human rights violations. We demand that Congress pass the PHRA and hold Marcos accountable for his crimes against the people. We call on the masses of people around the world to rise up against US imperialism and support the Filipino people in our struggle for national democracy and genuine peace.
Cut military aid to the Philippines!
Pass the Philippines Human Rights Act!
Hold Marcos accountable for his crimes!
Stop the killings in the Philippines!
#PassPHRA #StopTheAttacks #StopTheAttacksPH