About 100 protesters clashed with police in the capital, Manila on Monday afternoon, disrupting traffic near Malacanan Palace. A reporter for VOA said she saw about 800 demonstrators marching down the street carrying an effigy of President Obama mounted in a chariot pulled by Philippine President Benigno Aquino.
The activists say the agreement reverses democratic gains achieved when huge U.S. military bases were shut down in the early 1990s, ending nearly a century of American military presence in the Philippines, a sensitive issue in the former Spanish and then U.S. colony.
One of the protest leaders, Renato Reyes, Secretary General of the New Patriotic Alliance party (Bayan), said the agreement signed by the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines and the Philippines defense secretary undercuts independence.
- "This ushers in a new era of increased US presence and permanent basing. it's no secret that Americans have been here based in the Philippines since 2002. So whatever assurances that Philip Goldberg made today amounts to nothing. These are worthless assurances," said Reyes.
Obama tried to allay those concerns, saying the deal is not about U.S. dominance over the Philippines but about cooperating in training, exercises and operations to respond quickly to a range of challenges, including national disasters and counter-terrorism.
[voanews.com]
28/4/14
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Remarks by President Obama and President Aquino III of the Philippines at State Dinner...
ReplyDeletePRESIDENT AQUINO: President Obama; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Former President Fidel Valdez Ramos; President Joseph Ejército Estrada; Senate President Franklin Drilo;, members of the Senate present; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and now members of the House present; Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the Justices of the Supreme Court; Secretary Albert de Rosario; Secretary Paquito Ochoa; members of the Cabinet; Ambassador Joey Cuisia; Ambassador Philip Goldberg; Ambassador Susan Rice; Ambassador Michael Froman; Mr. Rob Nabors; Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps; distinguished members of the U.S. delegation; honored guests; ladies and gentlemen: Good evening.
Mr. President, on behalf of the Filipino people, I welcome you and your delegation to the Philippines. Though your stay here in our country may be short, I hope that it will allow you to see and experience for yourself how, indeed, it is more fun in the Philippines and that, undoubtedly, the Philippines works.
Mr. President, the historic friendship between our peoples has been punctuated by visits from your predecessors. Your visit, the eighth by a U.S. President, has been a long time coming and it marks yet another important chapter in our relations. Your presence here today reaffirms the strong bond between our nations. As a friend and partner of the Filipino people, Mr. President, you have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the growth and development of our nation.................http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/28/remarks-president-obama-and-president-aquino-iii-philippines-state-dinne
28/4/14
Obama hails security pact with Philippines, says no threat to China...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - President Barack Obama said a new military pact signed with the Philippines on Monday granting a larger presence for U.S. forces would bolster the Southeast Asian country's maritime security, but was not aimed at countering China's growing military might.
The agreement, which will have an initial 10-year term, was touted as the highlight of Obama's first visit to the Philippines, the United States' oldest ally in the region.
It sets the framework for a beefed-up rotation of U.S. troops, ships and warplanes through the Philippines, part of a rebalancing of U.S. resources towards fast-growing Asia and the Pacific.
But China interprets the move as an attempt to contain its increasing military capability and embolden Manila in a decades-long territorial dispute with Beijing.................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/28/us-philippines-usa-idUSBREA3Q05L20140428?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
28/4/14