Philippine-Australia SOFA furthers foreign intervention, fascist terror under Arroyo regime

May 31, 2007

Los Angeles - The Philippines revolutionary movement today in a statement posted over the internet scored the Arroyo regime and the Australian government for entering into a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), saying this only furthers foreign military intervention in the Philippines, and also serves to boost the Arroyo regime's fascist repression of the people.

The movement spokesperson, Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal condemned the Arroyo regime for committing another act of treason by signing the new military treaty with Australia that would allow the entry and deployment of Australian troops in Philippine territory in violation of the national sovereignty of the Filipino people. This SOFA is similar to the Visiting Forces Agreement between the US and Philippine governments.

Rosal said that through the VFA with the US, the American military has been able to permanently deploy a significant number of combat troops, reconnaissance forces, intelligence operatives and other open and covert interventionist forces in Philippine territory. US forces in the Philippines have also maintained a practically permanent base of operations in Zamboanga City.

He added that the US also constantly sends transient forces that participate in Balikatan, Balance Piston, Piston Fusion and other joint military exercises to develop "inter-operability" between the US and Philippine armed forces, and also serve as cover for the permanently deployed US forces in the country.

Calling Australia the chief Asia-Pacific military partner of the US, Rosal said that Australia's military outposts actually serve as satellite outposts of the US' so-called global war of terror in the region. He cited Australia's all-out support for the US' interventionist wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.

Rosal said Australia uses as its mandate the Australia-New Zealand-United States (ANZUS) Security Treaty for "cooperation on defense and security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region" to act as a surrogate of US military might and the chief hatchet man of US superpower dominance in the region.

"With the Philippine-Australia SOFA, we can expect closer and more sinister coordination between US and Australian military troops in the Philippines in carrying out combat, reconnaissance, espionage and other military activities in violation of Philippine sovereignty," said Rosal.

"In forging a military agreement with the repressive Arroyo regime, the Australian government and military are, in fact, helping reinforce the increasingly fascist rule of the widely detested Arroyo government," added Rosal. "The terrorism of the Arroyo regime is further emboldened by VFA and SOFA treaties and the military intervention and hegemonic superpower support of the US and its regional junior partner Australia."

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