Balikatan Exercises 2014: Pittance Price for National Sovereignty

Vince Casilihan

Spokesperson,Karapatan-Bikol

Reference

                The PH-US Balikatan Exercises 2014 in Albay ends today.  What benefit did the Albyanos get from the much touted humanitarian civic action that Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda was so proud to tell the public? Pittance! How much was spent from public funds for hosting Balikatan Exercises 2014? The US troops did not come here to Albay to do civil military operations (CMO) at the expense of the US government.     The Philippine Government spends for it in compliance with the Mutual Logistic Support Agreement (MLSA).

Bikolano Alliance For Nationalism

Oppose To US Troops

(BAN US TROOPS)

                The Balikatan Exercises 2014 demonstrates the patent subservience of the US-Aquino Regime ably supported by Gov. Salceda to US imperialism.  The timing was perfect.  It was conducted at a time of US President Barack Obama scheduled visit to the Philippines for the signing of the  PH-US   Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement(EDCA). The message is clear.  Regular presence of US troops can now be expected.  

Albay Provincial Government did what it is expected of it by its master - full hospitality and security for the US troops.   Layers of PNP personnel both uniformed and plain clothes acting as security guards were deployed in strategic places where the the Balikatan Exercises were held to   prevent the  organized opposition  against   PH-US Joint Balikatan  Exercises come near the sites.  Elements of 2^nd IB PA conducting military operations to provide security   for US troops   participating in the Balikatan Exercises in barangays  Doña Mercedez, Malobago, and Sinungtan  in Guinobatan, Albay, harrassed and intimidated civilians in adjacent barangays and told them not to join rallies against Balikatan or face removal from the list of Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT) beneficiaries.  One civilian was even fired upon by soldiers when he ran to the comfort room to relieve himself.

The US troops doing   repairs of classrooms and medical/dental mission is a clear proof of Philippine Government gross neglect and dismal failure to provide for its citizens   sufficient provision to satisfy basic social services like education and health.  Bicol Region ranks third in the poorest regions in the entire country.  Albay province has the most number of malnourished children in public schools in the region.    But the provincial government of Albay has money for Magayon Festival 2014  to a tune of  P20 Million according to report.

With the PH-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) now in place,  a whole sale of Philippine national sovereignty to US imperialism was  almost complete.  US troops, arms, and war machines can now have unhampered   base access  in” Agreed Locations” in AFP military bases rent-free for unspecified time. The Filipino people will pay the cost of their stay and will bear the social cost   that the presence of US military bases will bring to our people.

 The Philippines is not for sale.

Oppose US imperialism! 

Junk EDCA!

Scrap RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)! 

Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)!

Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA)!

Uphold National Sovereignty!

Karapatan-Bicol strongly condemns this atrocious act of harassment and intimidation of civilians committed by elements of 2nd IB PA in furtherance of the intense military operations conducted simultaneous to the 2014 Balikatan Exercises in Albay.

Press Statement

Reference:         Paul Vincent Casilihan

                         Spokesperson, Karapatan-Bicol

Elements of 2^nd Infantry  Battalion, Philippine Army (2nd IB, PA)  conducting intense military operations in far flung  barangays  in the municipalities of  Guinobatan, Pio Duran, and Jovelliar in the province of Albay simultaneous to the GPH-US Balikatan Exercises 2014 committed gross human rights violations by  harassing and  intimidating civilians.  

On April  26, through  May 1, 2014,according to the report, Philippine Army soldiers  threatened the recipients of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) or the 4Ps  in Barangays Pood and  Balite of Guinobatan town   that if they will be seen in the  May 1 International Labor Day rally, they will be removed from the program.   Some Army soldiers    fired their rifles on Alwyn Naños while he was walking fast to the comfort room to relieve himself.  The soldiers were shouting, “NPA iyan! NPA Iyan!  The victim was shouting back  and pleading,” Sibilyan ako, Sibilyan ako!” but the soldiers kept on firing their guns aimed towards his direction.

Victims of these human rights violations accompanied by barangays officials reported to the office of Karapatan-Bicol and narrated the atrocious acts of soldiers against them.   After securing their testimonies, the victims proceeded to the Regional Office of the Commission on Human rights (CHR 5) for filing of formal complaints against the perpetrators.

In a local TV station interview, 2^nd Lt. Albert Belingan,  head of the 2^nd IB PA civil military operations (CMO)  weaved  lies to deny the accusations.   If it were true, said him, the victims should have reported the incidents to the 2^nd IB PA headquarters for investigation.

It is most appalling that the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), a palliative program touted by the US-Aquino Regime to eradicate poverty is being used as a counter-insurgency tool by the military.  Intimidating the  4Ps recipients of removing them  from the program should they join the people’s legitimate exercise of their civil liberties violates their basic rights.  Moreover, it is the State responsibility to provide to its citizens the needed basic social services and the military has no right or authority to deprived them of such.

2^nd Lt. Albert Belingan is so naïve to tell the human rights victims to report the human rights violation cases committed by State      security forces to the military.  It is ironic and dementing.  Everybody knows State security forces commit human rights violations with gross impunity.

The intense military operations in the barangays near the site of the Balikatan Exercises 2014 Engineering Civic Action Program (ENGCAP) in barangays Malobago and Doña Mercedes in Guinobatan, Albay clearly shows that this humanitarian civic action (HCA) is just a ploy for the covert joint military operations of the Philippine  and US armed forces.   It is a convenient component of Oplan Bayanihan, the counter-insurgency program of the US-Aquino Regime designed based on the US Counter-Insurgency Guide (US COIN) of 2009, funded and supported by the imperialist US through the annual $50 M US military assistance to the Philippines.

Karapatan-Bicol strongly condemns this atrocious act of harassment and intimidation of civilians committed by elements of 2^nd IB PA in furtherance of the intense military operations conducted simultaneous to the 2014 Balikatan Exercises in Albay.  It equally condemns the GPH-US Balikatan Exercises, it latchets military operations that breeds human rights violations particularly and directly affecting the civilian population.

STOP HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS!

US TROOPS OUT NOW!  SCRAP VFA/MDT!

NO TO BALIKATAN EXERCISE!

JUNK THE US-GPH ENHANCED DEFENSE COOPERATION AGREEMENT!