Groups rally on 126th Independence Day, slam ‘oppressive powers’

MANILA, Philippines — As the nation commemorates its 126th year of independence, members from various progressive groups marched along Kalaw Avenue in Manila, condemning what they called the United States’ continued “intervention” in the country’s affairs, which they claimed affects the ongoing tension between the Philippines and China.

Based on data from the Manila Police District, more or less 300 protesters joined the rally, which was supposed to be held in front of the US Embassy.

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“Huwad na kalayaan ang meron tayo, hangga’t may dominasyon ng mga dayuhan, pangingialam ng mga dayuhan whether it is in the West Philippine Sea or sa ating mga kampo kung saan merong sundalong amerikano. Huwad na kalayaan hangga’t hindi Filipino ang may control sa ating politika, ekonomiya at pagtahak ng kinabukasan,” Mong Palatino, Bayan secretary-general decried at the sidelines of the protest.

(What we have is fake freedom, as long as there is foreign domination and foreign interference, whether it is in the West Philippine Sea or in our camps where there are American soldiers. It is a false freedom as long as Filipinos are not in control of our politics, economy, and the path toward the country’s future.)

House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro, who was also present during the rally, likewise echoed this in an earlier statement.

She pointed out how the country “is not truly free,” from the US which she said “remains the primary threat to our national sovereignty as it struggles to proliferate its military presence and strengthen its influence against its emerging rival China.”

“It is clear that the US is the principal oppressive power in the Philippines, while China has also become a participant in the struggle for dominance in the region. But the roots of US hegemony in our economy, politics, culture, and military run deeper and wider,” the lawmaker said.

Aside from this, Castro also pointed out how the country remains caged and plagued by a lot of societal issues, such as the alleged continued human rights violations in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) and increasing prices of basic commodities, among others.

“Nararamdaman ba natin ang tunay na pagbabago dito sa present administration? Hangga’t nanatili dyan yung NTF-Elcac na patuloy dyan ang human-rights violation hangga’t nanatili ang mababang sahod hindi nakabubuhay, hangga’t nanatili ang taas ng bilihin na di macontrol ng ating pamahalaan ay walang tunay na kalayaan,” the lawmaker said in a separate interview.

(Do we feel real change here in the present administration? As long as the NTF-Elcac remains, as long as the human-rights violation continues, as long as the low wages remain unsustainable, and as long as our government cannot control the prices, there will be no real freedom.)

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“Pero ang challenge sa ating mga kababayan nasa atin ang aksyon para tayo ay maging tunay na malaya sa pamamagitan ng pagkilos para baguhin ang ating kalagayan,” she concluded.

(But the challenge to our fellow citizens is to take action so that we can be truly free by taking action to change our situation.)

Other groups

Meanwhile, another group People’s Solidarity met and waved the country’s flag in observance of the 126th anniversary of Independence Day. The group held a brief gathering at Plaza Miranda in front of Quiapo Church.

A separate crowd also held a flag solidarity at the Barasoain Church in Malolos Bulacan, where House Speaker Martin Romualdez along with other lawmakers and Bulacan officials conducted an Independence Day celebration.