Perspective on Life in the Philippines

Perspective on Life in the Philippines

Fred Drew is Cameron County Libertarian Party chairman and writes columns bi-weekly. Archived columns can be found on alternate Monday mornings on his Web site, www.todayscommonsense.com. He can be reached at fred@thedrews.net.

On Feb. 18 a commentary “People’s war against terror: Life in the Philippines” by E. Elizabeth Garcia, appeared in The Brownsville Herald. It noted that toxic waste residues might still be a problem at our former bases in the Philippines and mentioned the rape of a young woman there by a Marine. I was saddened by the reports.
I served six tours in the Vietnam Conflict and frequently visited and worked in the Philippines at Cavite City, Baguio, Santa Rita, Angeles City and Onlongapo.
Over the last 44 years or so, I have periodically lived and worked in the Philippines and consider it my second home. I have also frequently visited and continue to visit the Clark Air Base vacation area, which has a world-class golf course, casino and gourmet restaurants, not to mention a quite good duty free shop.
In this column I have proudly pointed out the special relationship between the Filipinos and Americans. I think it is important to remember how we became enmeshed.
As a result of the Spanish American War the Philippines was ceded to the United States, which administered it and promised independence after 10 years of preparation, in the Philippine Independence Act (Tydings-McDuffie act) of 1934. In 1946, two years after promised, independence was effected.
Admittedly, I left out a lot of less-than-fair dealings at the time of the Treaty of Paris; a war of independence by the Filipinos against the United States and numerous issues of prejudice in an earlier America.
Then the Japanese occupation in World War II was thrust upon us and began a new era where we worked together for the freedom of the Philippine nation.
Filipinos have had a hand in the making of the United States as well, such as the Filipino settlements in Louisiana in the 1700s and those seamen who claimed “Moro Bay” (Los Angeles) for Spain in the 1500s.
We also remember when they most dramatically showed us their mettle, and removed an administration that had become intolerable solely by the power of the people; no violence was necessary!
Many folks with Filipino roots have also come to this country and found the “American Dream.” Just look around the next time you are in a hospital; these excellent physicians, medical technologists and nurses are not only very technically competent but renowned around the world as caregivers. You will also find them in schools and universities as some of our better educators and thinkers.
Given the enterprise and courage of the Filipino people as I know them, I find it difficult to believe that both of the issues identified, as well as any others that come up from time to time, would not normally be resolved to the satisfaction of both national interests. However, I have also found that there may be more at work than is obvious.
I looked at the organizations that work with or sponsor the Christian Peacemakers. The “People’s Task Force for Bases Cleanup” that Ms. Garcia refers to in her column is a supporter of “Yes, Observe National Independence and Peace,” an activist Web site associated with a giant in the peace movement, Professor Roland Sumbulan.
I have read a number of his writings and often agree, but on many occasions the professor paints the “imperial United States” as the villain in all things and the CIA as the ever-present evil provocateur.
It is no secret that both the government and the intelligence agency have made lots of mistakes, but I dispute the assertion that they are done purposely to keep the Philippines in a subservient position, and that the goals of the CIA are to advance that position. Sumbulan apparently seeks to use some of the current situations to embarrass the Philippine administration for “lack of a sense of country” and its relations with the United States.
His articles published on YONIP, such as “Contextualizing the Subic Rape Case and the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA),” set out a method to accomplish the goal and also seem to be the foundation of Ms. Garcia’s talking points.
I hope malefactors in the Philippines do not misuse Ms. Garcia’s obvious passion for peace and fair treatment and her comments to actually encourage a situation that would only worsen the situation.
To that end I have forwarded a copy of her concerns as expressed in the article to Philippine Sen. Richard Gordon, who grew up in and was mayor of Olongapo for 12 years. It is largely through his efforts that the region was able to develop an economic base in twin-plant-type manufacturing, and recreational use to replace the income lost when the American forces left. He also turned what was once known as “Sin City” into a model city with efficient garbage collection, integrated solid waste management, health and sanitation and crime prevention, which earned it the title of the “Cleanest City” in the Philippines.
In regard to the comments referring to prostitution increasing as a result of the “Visiting Forces Agreement” the numbers of U.S. military personnel involved are small and not frequent; and therefore not likely to increase the numbers of clients enough to require more sex workers.
Much more an issue are the young women who are misled into entertainment job contracts and poorly conceived “domestic” positions around Asia, as well as those who seek out work as guest relations officers in the many bars in the Manila area and those who also are led into situations where they supply the burgeoning “sex vacation” businesses with clients from all over the world.
Lastly, I consider it a personal affront that Ms. Garcia observed a Filipina woman in the company of a white man and judged that she was a prostitute and he was American. Many Europeans and Australians also live in the Angeles area and not all Filipinas in the area are prostitutes.
My wife is a Filipina from a prominent family and like many Asians appears much younger than her age and certainly younger that myself. We have been married for a number of years and I would not like to think that such a conclusion could be drawn; in fact, it is bigotry of the worst kind.

FRED DREW Contributing Columnist

Interview in Weslaco Town Crier

Violence-reduction in Crisis Situations: Interview with Elizabeth Garcia


by Nick Braune

She is a small woman physically, but she has a ton of energy, playing a role in several peace and social justice issues here in the Valley. Elizabeth Garcia, an activist Catholic living in Brownsville, was a key speaker last year in Weslaco at the Peace and Justice Gathering. She called for just treatment of immigrants and she condemned the militarization of the border.

I have wanted to interview her for some time, but not focusing on her local work. Something else. Listen in, you will enjoy this interview.

Author: Elizabeth, I’m familiar with your work here in the Valley, but I understand that you have traveled to other countries with a daring group. Could you tell my readers about your travels and the organization?

Garcia: I work with the Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) that arose from a call in 1984 for Christians to devote the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war.

Author: That’s a challenge.

Garcia: Calling on the whole church world to be an organized, nonviolent alternative to war, CPT sends violence-reduction teams into crisis situations and militarized areas around the world. We respond to the invitation of local peace and human rights workers. At the present we have permanent projects in Colombia, Palestine, Iraq and in Arizona. I personally have gone to Colombia, Palestine, and Arizona. Recently I was part of an exploratory delegation to the Philippines.

Author: Can’t this be dangerous, going unarmed into conflict situations? And isn’t your group the one that had members kidnapped in Iraq last year?

Garcia: Yes, it is the same group. One of our members, Tom Fox, was killed and the other three were released later. And just last month we went through the same ordeal again: three CPTers were kidnapped for a week -- they are home safe now. But CPT continues to embrace the vision of unarmed intervention. CPT members know there is a risk of injury and death due to our bold attempts to transform lethal conflict through nonviolent power, the power of God's truth and love.

Author: I just read an article in the USA Today (Feb. 14) about the Philippines. Several things in the article were interesting. For one thing, it said that the constitution of the Philippines forbids foreign military bases, and yet we have bases there. I strongly suspect that the US presence in the Philippines is overbearing? What did you find?
Garcia: Well, they have the Visiting Forces Agreement. In the early 90s the Philippine Government allowed US Forces to return, to provide training to the Filipino Army and also to help the Filipino Army fight against the terrorist group in the South Region of Mindanao. But despite protests from the Catholic Church and from anti-U.S. elements in the Philippines, the US presence is increasing the cycle of violence, in many ways. For example, prostitution of young girls is on the rise, because there is a market for it. People in the Philippines are very rich, or very poor, and this is one way they can make money,

Author: Please comment on this quote from USA Today: "Critics say military and aid projects aren't enough. The Muslims in southern Philippines -- a minority in a majority Christian country -- have long-standing grievances. They are among the poorest people in the Philippines. They have long been ignored by the Christian political elite in Manila. Promised money rarely arrives."

Garcia: We visited the Mindanao Area, where most Muslims in the Philippines live, and we were allowed inside the compound of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and we even met Ghazali Jaafar, the Vice chair of political affairs. We were surrounded by many armed guards. Although it was an intense experience, Jaafar was very nice to us. He explained that the root problem in the Mindanao area is not poverty but the illegal and immoral annexation of the Bagsamoro (the aboriginal people of Mindanao) as part of the Philippines in 1946.

He said the Bagsamoro need to determine their own destiny, controlling their land and its resources. The problem is that 80% of Mindanao is occupied by non-Muslims.

Author: I hate to see Christian-Moslem conflict. Is there any hope?

Garcia: In 1998, MILF started negotiations with the Philippines’ administration, finding some agreement, but they have not finalized negotiations. And although there is an existing ceasefire, the MILF machinery is active; weapons are always ready. Jaafar believes there is no way to reduce violence in that area until the self-determination problem is solved, a solution acceptable to the Bagsamoro.

Author: Elizabeth, I really admire your work and spirit. Thank you.

Peoples' War Against Terror

People's War against terror
A Philippino Story

I am visiting the Philippines, in an exploratory trip with Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT) In the few weeks that I have being here, I have being saturated with so much information, and have learned so much about the Philippines in these last days. Most of my learnings, come from people we are visiting during our exploration. Velia Pablo, is an Aeta, (the original indigenous Filipino) Velia lives now in Iram, a resettlement after the Volcano Pinatubo erupted back in 1991. She and about 14, 000 families were move to what is now known as the Iram Resettlement in Olongapo City, located at about 130km North of Manila. Olongapo is in the Subic Bay Area, where the US Navy Base was located (Subic Navy Base was once the largest US Navy installation in the Pacific and the largest overseas military installation of the US Arm Forces. In the same region, of Central Luzon, a former a US Air Force Base is located, known as the Clark Base Air Force Base, located about 60km Northwest of Manila in the City of Angeles, province of Pampanga. Subic Navy Base as well As Clark Air Force Base, became a land field of toxic waste, asbestos and other hazardous chemicals, and since the two bases were closed back in the early 90's, they left a legacy of contamination and diseases to the Filipino people who like Velia Pablo, are now struggling and are in a quest for justice from the nation that used their territory, and left their land and their waters highly damage. Velia Pablo and many others in Task Force for Base Clean-up--a grass root organization-- are engaged in a fight for justice against the superpower and even against their own government that allows such abusive acts from the US Military Bases. In 2004, Velia and other 400 people in the Subic Area were tested positive for Asbestosis. The Damage that US has cause to the Filipino population will be a problem that will affect communities in these areas for many years to come, it is a tickling environmental disaster and it is sad to see how new generations are also victims of toxic waste, babies born with cerebral palsy, blood diseases and blood poison, leukemia deformities and developmental problems all these disease as a result of the reckless behavior of US Government by leaving the Military Bases without a proper clean-up.

And while I visit with my new friend Velia, I learn about the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) and the Nichole Rape Case by a US Marin, back in 1995 in Subic Navy Base. Back in 1990's, the Philippine Government, allowed the US to returned to Philippine soil to engage in military exercises and to train Filipino and American Forces. Nicole, (not her real name) is a college graduate who was raped by Daniel Smith, a Soldier of the US Marin Corps, who stated that what happened between him and Nicole was consensual sex, however; in December 2006, based on the evidences, and testimonies presented to the court, Smith, was found guilty of rape against Nicole. Smith was under custody of the Filipino judicial system, until he was "transferred" to the US embassy, in the middle of the night without any clear explanations as to how that "transfer" happened. Filipino people feel that what happened in the Philippines, should be dealt in the Philippines by Philippines.

I also learned, that related to this issue, prostitution of young girls is on the rise because of the VFA, and in fact, visiting Angeles City in the Clark Base Area, we witness young girls, accompanied by Americans.

And I can not helped but to wonder, when is the US government going to stop raping, not only the women in the countries where they have a presence, but of entire communities, they violated Nicole's body, and they violated Velia's land, hopes and dreams, in other words, they promote the kind of terror that is allowable in their own eyes, this is the kind of “democracy” US government is promoting overseas. I think the people of the Philippines, like Velia and Nicole deserve better, I think the US should learn to stay home and take care of their own problems, I think that US should stop being the "defender" of the world, because in the process they are doing much more evil than good.

Velia and Nicole, are engage in their own "war against terror" created by US military presence.