BAGONG ALYANSANG MAKABAYAN

Northern Mindanao . Southern Mindanao . Western Mindanao . Caraga . Socsksargen

Mindanao Rages: 

US Troops, Out Now!  Oust Gloria Arroyo!

Mindanao Peoples’ March and Caravan for National Sovereignty, Justice, and Peace

February 18, 2008

The Mindanao people are outraged by the endless corruption of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her puppetry to the US military.

In Manila, huge rallies denouncing Arroyo’s corruption have begun once again.  In Mindanao, protest actions against the corrupt, puppet, and fascist government have also become widespread.

From North to South, from East to West, broad and simultaneous protest actions against the Arroyo regime and the US troops are taking place in Mindanao.   

Endless Greed of the Arroyo Regime

Exposed! Jun Lozada and Jose de Venecia III continue to expose the ruthless greed of the Arroyo family to get monstrous kickbacks from the ZTE-Broadband deal. 

This is only the latest in a series of anomalies through which the corruption of the Arroyos has been exposed.  This includes the fertilizer fund scam, Diosdado Macapagal Highway, North Rail and South Rail projects, and the bribery of local officials in the amount of P500,000 at the grounds of Malacañang. 

Monopolizing contracts is not enough for Arroyo.  She wants no one to disobey or investigate these anomalies.  That’s why money from Malacañang flooded the halls of Congress in order to oust Jose de Venecia from his position as House Speaker, and replace him with an even more trusted lapdog of Arroyo—Prospero Nograles.  Right after this was accomplished, Arroyo wants to stay in power through charter change.

Blood is the Hands of the Arroyo Government!

Criminal! The Arroyo government wants to blind and silence all of its critics.  Jun Lozada was kidnapped by the police and military to prevent him from exposing the truth.  His office was raided and the documents that would point to the criminality of the Arroyo family were confiscated.  Arroyo twisted the law in order to prevent members of the Cabinet from testifying before the Senate.  More than 900 activists have been killed and involuntary disappeared by suspected military agents because of Oplan Bantay Laya.

The People’s Poverty Increases while Arroyo gets Richer!

There is Hunger!  The Filipino people wallow in more poverty as the Arroyo family amasses more wealth.  Arroyo’s boasting that the country’s Gross Domestic Product has risen 7.5% is an empty reality.  Growing numbers of people instead are living with empty stomachs.  It is deception on the part of this regime to paint the picture of a progressive economy.  Rising prices of basic commodities, oil price hikes, lack of jobs, low wages, land grabbing—this is the real situation of the people.

Shameless Puppetry of Arroyo to the United States!

Puppet!  The Arroyo Regime has relied on the support and direction from the U.S. government in order to remain in power.  Since the threats to her power from military factions began, the U.S. has not abandoned Arroyo.  The U.S. has continued to back Arroyo in the midst of its stench and isolation from the people.  Arroyo is a trusted puppet of the U.S.  This is why Arroyo was among the first to offer support to the so-called U.S. War on Terror.  This is why Arroyo defends the legality of the Visiting Forces Agreement and Mutual Logistics Support Agreement. 

Using U.S. military aid, the Arroyo Regime and Armed Forces of the Philippines launched a series of all-out wars against the Moro people and military operations in the countryside and cities.  Arroyo allowed the U.S. to interfere in the GRP-MILF peace talks, while the U.S. terrorist listing of the New People’s Army remains a thorny issue that is snagging the GRP-NDFP peace talks. 

After the U.S. troops’ violence was exposed through their violation of human rights, including the rape of Mindananaon “Nicole”, Arroyo gave in to the US by allowing again the Balikatan exercises.  The U.S. troops are hiding behind the deceptive smiles and ‘aid’.  They are using humanitarian missions to cover their actual objectives of spying, intelligence gathering, and maintaining a permanent base in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao. 

But the people cannot be fooled!  The preparations for a U.S. military base where an airport and other infrastructure have been built in General Santos City are now exposed.  The U.S. has spread its projects under US AID to Lumad, Moro, and Christian communities in order to “win the hearts and minds” of the peoples and dissuade our opposition to their presence.  CIA agent Michael Meiring remains as a suspect in the series of bombings that took place in Mindanao starting in 2002.  U.S. troops were behind the AFP soldiers during the massacre of eight Moro civilians, including two children and a pregnant woman, in Maimbung, Sulu on February 4.  The Moro people drove away the U.S. troops that entered Marawi on February 15.

Corrupt, Fascist, Puppet!

This is the rotten character of the Arroyo Regime.  The people should advance the struggle to oust Arroyo along with the U.S. troops!

U.S. Troops Out Now!  Oust the U.S.-Arroyo Regime!