Monday, April 28, 2014

Philippines - Oppose Obama’s twin agenda of new basing treaty and “chacha”—CPP


April 27, 2014

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The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today urged the Filipino people to oppose the US’ twin agenda of forging a new basing treaty to allow more US forces and their warships to be stationed in the Philippines and securing the commitment of Aquino government officials to amend the 1987 constitution (chacha or charter change) in order to pave the way for the participation of the Philippine government in negotiations for the US-initiated Trans-Pacific Partnership trade block.
“The four-country Asia visit of US imperialist chief Barack Obama seeks to boost its declared Asia pivot plan to deploy up to 60% of its overseas naval forces to the Asia-Pacific to enable the US to project military power in the region, secure the flow of US surplus goods to Asia and contain the growth of China as a military power and challenger of US hegemony,” said the CPP.
Obama will be arriving in the Philippines tomorrow after visiting Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Japan and South Korea are the sites of the biggest US bases in Asia, hosting nearly 50,000 troops. Over the past five years, the US imperialists have actively strengthened economic and military ties with Malaysia which has allowed the US military to build up its presence in the Malacca strait, the narrow sealane between the Indian and Pacific Oceans where up to one-fourth of traded goods pass through.
“The visit of US imperialist chief Obama to the Philippine affirms the neocolonial relations between the US government and the Philippine client state currently headed by the Amboy president Benigno Aquino III,” said the CPP.
“The puppet Aquino regime will be welcoming its master Obama with a pledge allowing more US warships, jetfighters, drones and war troops to be stationed in the Philippines, secure within US military facilities and enclaves carved inside the military bases of the local armed forces, upgraded to enable hosting of US war machines” said the CPP. “This pledge will be affirmed with the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) which will further deepen US military entrenchment in the Philippines and in the Asia-Pacific.”
“The EDCA is no other than a military basing agreement as it will allow the US military to maintain its facilities, station its troops for rest and recreation, dock its sea vessels, land its jetfighters, operate its spy drones and plan, prepare and launch operations, including power projection maneuvers ang wars of aggression within and outside the region,” said the CPP. The EDCA comes on top of the permanent basing of the 700-strong Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) since 2002 within the AFP’s Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.
“Aquino and his puppet officials will also be informing their master Obama of the all-out efforts being undertaken to amend the 1987 Philippine constitution in order to remove restrictions against full foreign ownership of strategic economic enterprises and a prohibition on foreigners practicing their professions in the country,” said the CPP.
“The Obama government has made it crystal clear to the Aquino regime that it needs to amend the Philippine 1987 constitution in order to participate in talks to build the US-initiated Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP),” said the CPP. The US position for amending the Philippine constitution was publicly declared by then US Ambassador Harry Thomas in 2011 and is contained in the book Arangkada! commissioned by the American Chamber of Commerce which asserts that the removal of restrictions against foreign ownership of land and enterprises is the key to raising so-called Philippine competitiveness.
“The EDCA and chacha serve to virtually reestablish US colonial rule in the Philippines,” said the CPP. “The Filipino people must vigorously protest the visit of US imperialist chief Obama. Through the EDCA and chacha, the Aquino regime perpetuates and strengthens US military and economic domination in the Philippines, further undermines Philippine sovereignty and makes a complete mockery of so-called Philippine independence.”

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