Bayan: US, China, Japan out to strip PH of resources

MANILA, Philippines — A few days before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit, protesters stormed the Chinese Embassy in Makati and the Japanese Embassy in Pasay City on Thursday and asked the APEC member states to “keep their dirty hands off the Philippines.”
Carrying banners with the texts “Atin ang Pinas, China Layas” and “China out of PH Waters,” about 100 members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), League of Filipino Students (LFS), Gabriela and Kilusang Mayo Uno started their series of protest actions at the Chinese embassy along Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City.

They later on proceeded to the Japanese Embassy in Pasay then joined other protest groups in front of the US Embassy in Manila.

LFS National chairperson Charisse Banez said that the protest “aims to denounce China’s heightening incursion and the United States and Japan’s increased military intervention in the country.”

“These countries act for their own interests yet they also join forces in order to squash our sovereignty,” Banez said.

Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) spokesperson Teddy Casino expressed fear that the superpowers would join forces and go against the Philippines.

He said that China has been going after the Philippines’ marine resources while establishing military presence in the West Philippine Sea. Casino added that these three countries have been “playing a dangerous game of one-up me around the West Philippine Sea.”

“We are here to send a message to the leaders of these countries not to use the Philippines as a pawn in their game. The most likely thing that could happen is that in the end, these superpowers will connive with each other and get what they want with the Philippines getting nothing,” Casino noted.

He added that Bayan and its allied groups would stage more protest rallies during the APEC Summit from Nov. 17 to 20 to show Chinese President Xi Jinping  he would not be welcome in the Philippines.

LFS even invited individuals, especially the young ones, to join their demonstrations calling for the “junking APEC and upholding a truly pro-people economy.  SFM