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.