Duterte challenged to condemn US airstrikes on Syria

Press Statement
April 15, 2018

Bayan condemns the April 14 US-led airstrikes against Syria. The US continues to fan conflict in the region as it attempts to advance its imperialist agenda in the Middle East. The issue of the use of chemical weapons by actors in the armed conflict in Syria is best addressed by independent probers. The US cannot be trusted to conduct an impartial and truthful inquiry given the US’ record of inventing pretexts to bomb other nations such as Iraq in 2002. The US is notorious for invading countries and starting wars based on false claims.

The recent US airstrikes are also being used to shift attention away from the various scandals hounding the Trump regime. These include various investigations into the President Trump’s past misdeeds now coming to light.

We call on the Philippine government to condemn the airstrikes on Syria and US armed aggression in the Middle East. It is not enough for the Department of Foreign Affairs to advice Filipinos in Syria “to stay indoors”. The Philippines must protest this blatant violation of international law and the endangerment of Filipino lives. There’s an estimated 1,000 Filipinos living in Syria.

The Philippines must not allow itself to be used as staging ground for US military intervention. President Rodrigo Duterte has said that he would not allow the Philippines to be dragged into US conflicts abroad. Now is the time for him to prove it. He should vigorously condemn the bombings and not allow the Philippines to be used as transit point for US warships. ###