Scrap VFA Movement Asks Senate to Reject SOVFA Philippines-Australia

[Corazon Valdez Fabros]

Press Release

June 6, 2012

Contact Person: 

Elmer Aresgado  0933-357-4675

 

Scrap VFA Movement Asks Senate to Reject SOVFA     Philippines-Australia

 

            “This SOVFA is not for Philippine security.  As Australia is the chief military ally of the US and the extension of the latter’s military might, the SOVFA will only serve the US agenda, that of reasserting its dominance in Asia and the Pacific.”

 

            This is the response of the Scrap VFA! Movement to Senator Loren Legarda’s sponsorship speech for the ratification of the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and Australia.

 

            Representatives of organizations comprising the Scrap VFA! Movement holds a lightning public action today by the gate of the Philippine senate demanding the rejection of the said agreement.

 

            “We have experienced many problems that came with the VFA with the US.  We hardly had jurisdiction over Nicole’s rapist, Elmer Aresgado of the Youth for Nationalism and democracy, a member organization of the Scrap VFA! Movement explained.  “The Philippines has become very much militarized as US troops and their forward operating bases have become permanent and have expanded its areas of operation. We don’t need another agreement that will only aggravate this ravaging of our sovereignty.”

 

            The activists appealed to the senators to consider the real national interests and take with ‘sacks of salt’ such rationalizations like the “ present day grave dangers and threats ” given by the US State Department and the Australian counterpart.