OUT WITH THE AMERICAN TROOPS NOW!

OUT WITH THE AMERICAN TROOPS NOW!

“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who pin
their hopes on cavalry, putting their trust in
chariots because they are many, relying on horsemen
because they are strong. Why did they not look to the
Holy one of Israel or consult the Lord.”
Isaiah 31:1

The Kapatirang Simbahan para sa Bayan (KASIMBAYAN)
strongly rebukes the presence of 660 US troops in
Philippine soil. In the guise of “joint military
exercises” dubbed as “Kalayaan – Agila 2002,” the
arrival and prolonged stay of US troops threatens to
escalate the military abuses and social ills suffered
by the Filipino people. The renewed US military
presence displays the arrogance of the United States
and is by far the most blatant revelation of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s puppetry to the US
government.

President Arroyo’s act of servility to foreign rule
brings humiliation to our nation.

Our history witnessed the terrorist attacks of the US
against our people. The acts of treachery of American
soldiers are recorded in our collective memories. We
cannot and must not forget their deceptive schemes in
ruling our country:

· On August 13, 1898, Filipino revolutionaries were
refused entry to Intramuros after the surrender of the
Spanish garrison;
· On February 4, 1899, American soldiers fired at
Katipuneros in San Juan then started the
Filipino-American war where more than 600,000
Filipinos were massacred;
· On March 10, 1901, Easter Sunday, American soldiers
ambushed and killed 406 Filipinos whom they referred
as “insurrectos” in Lonoy, Jagna Bohol. According to
the relatives of the few survivors, the Americans shot
even those who were surrendering and they were
bayoneted repeatedly and mercilessly;
· On June 12, 1946 “Philippine Independence” was
declared only after the inclusion of the “parity”
amendment to the Philippine constitution and
acceptance of the US-imposed Military Bases Agreement.

Have we heard their apologies for such treachery and
atrocities?

Instead of taking lessons from the US track record
that has been a history of deception and impositions,
Pres. Arroyo and her military advisers choose to be
willing instruments of US acts of aggression that
grossly violate national sovereignty and patrimony.

The presence of the US military troops is a violation
of the Philippine Constitution with regard to the
provisions of banning the presence of foreign military
troops after the abrogation of RP-US Military Bases
Agreement (MBA) in 1991. The arrival of US troops in
the country in full battle gear is an obvious parade
of US military might.

As a church people’s organization, the KASIMBAYAN’s
commitment to expose and oppose unequal treaties and
agreements that manifest foreign control and
domination has prompted us to criticize and reject the
draft Mutual Logistics and Support Arrangement (MLSA)
together with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA),
the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and other US-imposed
agreements that must be abrogated.

Out with the US troops now !!!
February 4, 2002