AJLPP Statement

PGMA-Bush Summit, A Meeting of Terrorist

“If patriotism is the last resort of scoundrels, then diplomacy is the game of unpopular politicians.”

The Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the President Arroyo of the Philippines and US President Bush summit on June 24 in Washington DC and the coming President Arroyo’s visit to the United States from June 23 -27, 2008.The Arroyo-Bush summit is a meeting of two terrorist.

It is a meeting of the most unpopular presidents in their respective countries, a summit between a colonial master and a puppet. Up for discussions are colonial relations, pure and simple. The Filipino people stand nothing to gain from such a meeting of two of the most criticized leaders in the world

Their agenda will be the war on terror, which resulted in the stalled peace talks in the Philippines between the GRP and the NDFP and the MILF for four years. Because of the US war on terror in the Philippines, human rights violations escalated: More 1,000 activist were killed since 2001when PGMA assumed power. More than 200 activists are missing including 10 NDF peace consultants and 200 persons including 5 NDF peace consultants have been detained and are languishing in jails.

Costly Junket While People Suffers

The Arroyo-Bush summit is a waste of people’s money. It an extravagant junket to entice investors, horse-trade with the Bush successor (Between McCain or Obama). Arroyo brought with her more than 1/3 of the Philippine Congress, their relatives and their hangers-on.

Not in the agenda is the plight of the more than 1.5 overstaying and “undocumented” Filipino immigrants out of the more than five million Filipinos in the United States. Their fate is with the more than 12 million “illegal immigrants” whom the US government refused to legalize and are being persecuted.

Not in the agenda is the plight of thousands of Filipina women trafficked in the United States. The US=Arroyo regime should be ashamed and answer the question why is the Philippines in the list of the US State Department for human rights violations and trafficking of women.

Brazen Puppetry

It is the height of stupidity and mendicancy for PGMA to thank Bush for signing the equity bill, which has not been passed in the US Congress. In the first place the Philippine government did not support the bill for the longest time. They only supported it when it was sure to pass in 2006.

The RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement, (VFA) is still in force despite many violations by the US The US have turned the whole Philippines into a big military base like Iraq. The RP-US Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, despite legal questions, has been renewed for another 5 years. The $30 million Foreign Military Financing that the Philippines received this year, while still hoping to get the additional $2 million which is contingent on the Philippine’s human rights record,

The existing economic relations between the Philippines and the US, claiming that these remained one-sided in favor of the Americans The American owned Independent Power Producers continue to enjoy perks such as take-or-pay provisions which pass on unconscionable costs to consumers. American-owned oil companies (Mobil. Shell, etc they continue to reap super-profits from the misery of consumers.

The summit meeting to coordinate counter-insurgency measures in Asia and the Pacific will surely be met with vigorous people’s protests and denunciations both in the United States and in the Philippines.

Oust GMA! Down with US Imperialism!

AJLPP

Political Secretariat

June 25, 2008