Fight for Genuine Freedom Continues
Bayan joins the nation in observing the 120th anniversary of Independence Day, as we vow to continue the unfinished fight for national freedom and democracy. We assail the Duterte regime for reneging on its promise of an independent foreign policy, upholding instead a subservient foreign policy to both the US and China.
The Philippines cannot be truly free, not when foreign powers collude to take advantage of our people and resources. We cannot be truly free if China continues to claim most of the West Philippine Sea, regulates the movement and practically bullies our fishermen within our exclusive economic zone. No amount of Palace spin can change the fact that China retains control of Scarborough Shoal, despite the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
We cannot be truly free if the US continues treats us as its neocolony and foot stool in Southeast Asia, always moving to re-establish US bases and permanent military presence on our soil using different pretexts.
Neither the US nor China can be expected to uphold Philippine sovereignty. That job falls squarely on us Filipinos. Only Filipinos can be expected to uphold Philippine interest. We should not be a pawn in a battle for regional domination by two competing superpowers. Neither the claws of the dragon or the eagle, the Philippines should be truly free from any foreign domination.
The fight for sovereignty also includes the economic sphere as the Philippines has remained underdeveloped because of foreign economic impositions and dependence on foreign investments and foreign debt. The TRAIN law, the deregulation of the oil industry, the privatization of the power industry, liberalization of agriculture and the destructive large-scale mining operations are all foreign imposition on the people. These have contributed to worsening poverty and underdevelopment.
We cannot be truly free if our people suffer from foreign economic dictates and our resources are siphoned off by the big multinational corporations.
The Duterte regime has chosen the path of shameless subservience to different foreign powers in exchange for political and military support for the regime. It seeks loans and investments from China as it practically gives up the West Philippine Sea. It allows US troops and bases to be permanently set up in the Philippines in exchange for US support for the AFP and its regime.
The Filipino people have no other recourse but to continue the unfinished fight for genuine freedom, and to rid ourselves of foreign meddling. The Filipino people should be able to chart its own path of national development, unhindered by foreign intervention. We long to be able to stand on our own two feet, and not be dependent on the crumbs given to us by foreign masters. Only by being truly free can our nation prosper and develop. ###
