A militant urban poor group said that a cover up in the probe on one of the most controversial marine disasters in the Philippines’ recent history is very likely to happen as the United States Navy refuses local Tubbataha authorities to intervene in the effort to salvage USS Guardian that remains stranded in the Sulu Sea, considering the strong influence of the US government on the Philippine politics.
Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) said this after Malacanang said it would keep its silence without the result of an investigation to be done by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Department of National Defense (DND) and other concerned government agencies.
On Thursday dawn, the 1,300-ton US Navy Minesweeper ran aground the northern parts of the Tubbataha Reef off the coast of the the island of Palawan in the Sulu Sea.
As of press time, US divers were still unable to free the US ship due to bad weather condition, as the foreign troop refuses to take assistance from the Philippine government in mitigating the effects of the said incident to the precious ecology of the Tubbataha Reef which is among the 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Philippines.
The militant group will join other groups under Bagong Alayansang Makabayan (Bayan) in a protest action this morning outside the US Embassy in Manila as a response to recent reports that foreign troops aboard the USS Guardian have charged their armaments at our local authorities.
According to Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chair, “By this time, these US foreign troops should have well-realized what territory they are in, after losing directions with faulty navigation map which might have brought forth the disaster. Unless they are claiming that the Sulu Sea is within the US map of territories, they should at least show some courtesy to our local authorities and law enforcers.
Arellano also said that the Filipino people should express their overwhelming disgust both at the barbaric behavior of the US troops who know no boundary and territory and at the deafening silence of the Aquino administration with regards to the development of events in the Tubbataha disaster.
“Malacanang’s preferred silence only leads us to believe of a highly possible cover up in the investigation, and considering the overwhelming puppetry and subservience of the Aquino administration to the US government, and the latter’s deeply-entrenched influence on the Philippine politics,” Arellano added.
Aside from being a heritage site, Tubbataha reef serves as a breeding ground of marine lives which are source of food and livelihood for Filipinos along the coasts surrounding the Sulu Sea.
According to Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board, the US government should be fined with $300 or more than P12,000 per square meter of the damaged reef.
Fine, not enough!
However, Kadamay said that no amount of fine can compensate for the damages due to the Filipino people by years of US military intervention and entry of their naval troops to the Philippine seas.
“Since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines in 1951 which then permitted the presence of US military base in Subic, until today by virtue of the Visiting Forces Agreement, US troops have not only damage our delicate natural resources.
“Counts of murder as well as rape cases were committed by Philippine-based US troops, not counting the fact that presence of foreign troops in the Philippine soil and seas is raping our sovereignty,” Arellano added.
The Filipino people and peoples of other nations should put an end to the schemes of the United States to maintain its hegemony in world politics and economy which forces it to deploy military forces, naval ships and submarines to different regions of the world, as well as to manipulate if not to restrict governments of different countries including the Philippines in favor of its imperialist interests.
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Cover-up sa pinsala ng USS Guardian, hindi malayong mangyari -- Kadamay
Hindi malayong magkaroon ng cover-up sa isasagawang imbestigasyon ng gubyerno sa pinsalang dulot ng pagsadsad ng barkong pandigma ng US Navy sa Tubbataha Reef.
Ito ang pahayag ng grupong Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) matapos magpahayag ang Malacanang na magsasagawa ng imbestigasyon ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of National Defense (DND) at iba pang ahensya ng gubyerno kaugnay sa insidente.
Noong Huwebes ng madaling araw, isang 1,300 toneladang US Navy Minsweeper ang sumadsad sa hilagang bahagi ng Tubbataha Reef malapit sa isla ng Palawan.
Hanggang ngayon ay pilit itinataboy ng mga tropang Kano ang lokal na awtoridad na nangangasiwa sa Tubataha Reef, at napabalitang kinasahan pa umano sila ng baril ng mga dayuhang tropa sa kanilang pagtatangkang sumaklolo sa nadisgrasyang Minesweeper.
"Kasuklam-suklam ang ginagawang kawalang-akyson ng Malacanang kaugnay sa garapal na aksyong ginawa ng US Navy sa ating mga kababayan sa sarili nating bansa," ani Gloria Arellano, tagapangulo ng Kadamay kaugnay sa pasya ng Malacanang na manahimik habang hinhintay ang resulta ng isasagawang imbestigasyon.
"Sa ganitong aktitud ng gubyernong Aquino, hindi malayong magkaroon ng cover-up sa buong pinsala ng pagsadsad ng USS Mariner sa kalikasan ng Tubbataha," dagdag ni Arellano. Dapat lamang umanong igiit ng gubyerno ang karapatan nito na makialam at mangung sa insidenteng nagaganap sa teritoryo ng bansa.
Liban sa pagiging isang UNESCO World Heritage Site, ang Tubbataha Reef ay nagsisilbi ring breeding ground ng mga isdang pinagmumulan ng pagkain at kabuhayan ng milyun-milyon nating kababayan sa paligid ng Sulu Sea.
Sa pagtaya ng Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board, dapat magmulta ang US ng halagang $300 o P12,000 kada metro kwadro sa nasirang bahagi ng Tubbataha reef.
Multa, hindi sapat!
Ayon naman sa Kadamay, walang katumbas na halaga ang pinsalang dulot sa mamamayang Pilipino ng pagpasok ng mga tropang Kano at ng kanilang mga armas pandigma sa bansa.
Simula pa umano ng malagdaan ang Mutual Defense Treaty sa pagitan ng US at ng Pilipinas noong 1951 na siyang nagpahintulot noon sa pagtatayo ng US military base sa bansa, hanggang sa kasalukuyan sa bisa ng Visiting Forces Agreement, hindi lang likas na yaman ang napeperwisyo ng paglabas-masok at mga military exercies ng tropang Kano sa bansa.
“Maraming Pilipino ang pinaslang at maraming kababaihan ang ginahasa ng mga tropang Kano sa mahabang kasaysayan ng interbensyong militar ng US sa Pilipinas. Pero higit pa rito, ibayong pagyurak sa soberanya ng Pilipinas ang dulot ng presensya ng mga armadong pwersa ng US sa bansa,” ani Arellano.
“Ang pagtitiyak na napanatili ng US ang kontrol nito ang pandaigdigang pultika at ekonomiya ang nagtutulak ditong magdeploy ng mga barkong pandigma sa iba’t ibang dako ng daigdig, at kasangkapanin ang iba’t ibang gubyerno ng mga bansa tulad ng Malacanang para maipatupad ang mga interes nito,” pagwawakas ni Arellano.###
Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chair, 0921.392.7457
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KALIPUNAN NG DAMAYANG MAHIHIRAP
Militant Center of Filipino Urban Poor
12-A Kasiyahan St., Don Antonio Hts., Brgy. Holy Spirit, QC
427.4315 | kadamay-natl.blogspot.com | kadamay_national@yahoo.com
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