Disquiet at Peace Rally: U.S.-UK Occupation of Iraq Condemned in Anti-War Rally : QC IMC

More than six feet away from the police along T.M. Kalaw Street in Manila, the frontliners of the rally-mostly students and community-based youth-got a taste of the salty and sandy water from the fire hose. It did not matter to the police that between them and the demonstrators stood a number of mediamen who were covering the rally, held last March 20, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the U.S. attack on Iraq; some of them got their own dose of the water spray.

But the demonstrators, numbering more than a thousand, stood their ground and were able to hold a program less than 500 meters from the U.S. Embassy, notwithstanding occasional taunts by burly policemen in civilian clothes.

Speakers at the T.M. Kalaw rally included Crispin Beltran, Anakpawis chair for electoral concerns and the said party-list group’s lead nominee; Elmer Labog of Kilusang Mayo Uno, and Maita Santiago of Migrante International-who all assailed the support of the Macapagal-Arroyo regime for the U.S. war on “terror” which they said was based on deceit.

There was also a cultural presentation from the migrants’ cultural group Sining Bulosan, which derives its name from Carlos Bulosan, a prominent migrant writer and activist in the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century. The group performed a version of Jose Maria Sison’s poem “Coming of the Rain” set to music.

Broad mobilization

The anti-war rally near the U.S. Embassy, which started at around 2 p.m., was the second part of a broad mobilization that began at about 10 a.m. The first part was an inter-faith assembly held at Liwasang Bonifacio, a kilometer away.

The mobilization was spearheaded by the Justice Not War Coalition, the International League of People’s Struggle (ILPS)-Philippine chapter, and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan - New Patriotic Alliance).

In a statement, the Justice Not War Coalition said: “The Bush administration unleashed this lopsided war characterized by the massive bombardment of Iraq and the use of the most sophisticated weaponry against Iraqis who were defending their families, homes, means of livelihood and their right to exist as a free and sovereign people.

“Tens of thousands of Iraqi people have been killed. Civilian infrastructure such as water systems, hospitals, schools, museums and sites of ancient civilization have been destroyed.”

In separate statements, ILPS-Philippine Chapter and Amistad (Philippine-Cuban Friendship Association) both expressed support for the Iraqi people’s resistance against the U.S.-British occupation of their land and condemned what they called the U.S. threats of world domination and aggression against the peoples of the world.

Attendance in the mobilization was not limited to what a British journalist once termed “the usual suspects,” referring to groups and personalities associated with the Left. There were delegates from such groups as the Alyansang Nagtatanggol sa Inang Bayan (ANIB), Council on Philippine Affairs, Apostolic Catholic Church, People’s Forum on Peace for Life, Amistad, Benedictines for Peace, Pilgrims for Peace, My First Vote Movement, Alyansa ng Pag-asa, and FPJ Volunteers Movement.

There were also participants from cause-oriented and people’s organizations as Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Suara Bangsamoro Party, League of Filipino Students, Anakbayan, Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees, GABRIELA, Promotion of Church People's Response, Karapatan, Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace, Movement of Youth for Justice and Peace, Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, Health Alliance for Democracy, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Congress of Teachers for Nationalism and Democracy, Concerned Artists of the Philippines, Moro-Christian Peoples’ Alliance, Kalipunan ng mga Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, Agham, Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment, and Center for Environmental Concerns.

“Figments of the imagination”

What is the truth behind the bombings?
What is the truth behind the killings?

These are lyrics from a song performed by Haranang Bayan, a church-based cultural group, at the inter-faith assembly at Liwasang Bonifacio which made up the first part of the mobilization. That was also the theme of the prayer which opened the inter-faith program, led by Sr. Mary John Mananzan, OSB, Amira Lidasan (party-list nominee of the Suara Bangsamoro Party) and Fr. John Florentin Teruel of the Apostolic Catholic Church.

Fr. Allan Arcebuche, co-chair of the Promotion of Church People’s Response, noting that the U.S. justified the war on Iraq on the basis of the latter’s supposed possession of weapons of mass destruction, said: “After a year, these weapons of mass destruction have turned out to be figments of the imagination.”

Based on various reports from both mainstream and alternative media, the coalition forces (mainly U.S. and British) that attacked Iraq on March 20 last year have failed to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Iraq was attacked in spite of findings by United Nations weapons inspectors led by scientist Hans Blix that the country had dismantled its nuclear and chemical weapons years before.

Said activist priest Fr. Joe Dizon: “The war in Iraq has shown us a kind of world leadership that will ruin the world.”

Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. scored U.S. President George W. Bush for waging what he called “an immoral war” and condemned President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for supporting it. “The issue of this war is the issue of the bully versus the innocent victim,” he said. “The doctrine of this war is that might is right. That is not right!”

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, who is the party-list group’s lead nominee in the May election, described the parameters of the U.S. anti-“terror” war thus: “Anyone opposed to U.S. policies is considered a terrorist.”

Arroyo support

There were also foreign speakers who assailed the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines. Among them was Rebecca Lawson, an American member of the Philippine International Forum. “They say that the Philippines needs U.S. troops,” she said, “but we know better. U.S. troops are in the Philippines for the United States.”

At the T.M. Kalaw rally, Migrante International secretary-general Maita Santiago noted how the Arroyo government’s support for the U.S. war on Iraq placed the lives of Middle East-based Filipino workers at risk. There have been media reports of Filipino workers in the Middle East subjected to hate attacks because they were thought to be also supportive of the U.S.-led war on Iraq.

Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former health secretary, representing the Alyansa ng Pag-asa of presidential aspirant Raul Roco, read the party’s statement at the inter-faith assembly. “While the whole world condemns this war,” the statement read, “the Arroyo government continues to praise what may be considered a terrorist act.”

Said ANIB’s Amado Gat. Inciong of the Arroyo government’s support for the U.S. war: “While GMA risks the lives of Filipino soldiers in Iraq,” referring to the “peacekeeping” forces sent by the government to the said country, “she is sure of being America’s bet for May 10.”

But Fr. Joe Dizon offered a solution: “We can take lessons from the people of Spain.” The Popular Party of Jose Maria Aznar, who strongly supported the U.S. war, lost in the election in Spain over a week ago. Spanish voters, majority of whom opposed the war, junked Aznar’s hand-picked successor. Bulatlat.com