“The people’s movement for peace, freedom, and sovereignty is not about to take it sitting down,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said on the high court’s decision upholding the ‘constitutionality’ of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). “ Expect mighty protest actions to reconstitute Philippine sovereignty and defend the rights of our people,” she warned.
“The people’s movement for peace, freedom, and sovereignty is not about to take it sitting down,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said on the high court’s decision upholding the ‘constitutionality’ of the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). “ Expect mighty protest actions to reconstitute Philippine sovereignty and defend the rights of our people,” she warned.
"Philippine sovereignty, or what’s left of it, has just been flushed down the drain. And it is no less than the Supreme Court that did it,” Palabay remarked. “It’s a no-brainer,” she further said about "allowing the U.S. military to build structures; store and pre-position their weapons, defence supplies and materiel; station troops, civilian personnel and defense contractors; and transit and station vehicles, vessels, and aircraft. It squarely negates the landmark 1991 Senate decision rejecting U.S. bases on Philippine soil. It is tantamount to inviting the U.S. to come back and do as they please – trampling on our rights as a people and nation, just as the U.S. trampled on the rights of the Libyans, Afgans, Haitis, and the other peoples of the world."
"The Supreme Court has essentially made legal U.S. occupation of the Philippines on the pretext of ‘partnership,’ regional stability,’ and ‘humanitarian aid’," Palabay cited. “Truth is, the Philippines has now officially become a part of the U.S. interventionist wars in Asia-Pacific.”
"The Supreme Court’s decision clearly reflects how the Philippine executive and judicial branches of government kowtow to the U.S. in exactly the same manner that the lower courts practically exonerated and gave preferential treatment to American soldiers who raped and murdered Nicole and Jennifer Laude," Palabay said. "Thanks to the Supreme Court, our people have been made more vulnerable to rights violations, including rape and murder by U.S. soldiers," Palabay warned.
"Remember that under Oplan Bayanihan, BS Aquino’s counter-insurgency program which is patterned after the U.S. Counter Insurgency Guide, some 304 Filipinos have been killed extrajudicially, and more than 60,000 forcibly evacuated, mostly in Mindanao. It is also the puppetry of the BS Aquino regime to the U.S. that caused the death of 44 Filipino police officers and displaced communities in the Mamasapano conspiracy,” Palabay reminded.###