ANALYSIS

Independence Day and the Rape of Nicole

The Subic Rape Case provides irony to the commemoration of June 12 Independence Day. More than a hundred years since the 1898 declaration of the first Philippine republic, after Filipino revolutionaries defeated the Spanish colonizers, Filipinos are still being raped and abused by foreign soldiers.

BY BENJIE OLIVEROS
Bulatlat

The Subic Rape Case provides irony to the commemoration of June 12 Independence Day. More than a hundred years since the 1898 declaration of the first Philippine republic, after Filipino revolutionaries defeated the Spanish colonizers, Filipinos are still being raped and abused by foreign soldiers.

Justice is elusive for Nicole who said she was raped by U.S. soldiers as the U.S. embassy refuses to turn over the suspects to the Philippine government citing provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement.   Last week, members of the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigation Services who conducted an investigation on the case refused to testify before the court by claiming diplomatic immunity.  

But the worst part is that the Arroyo administration, through its Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, seems more interested in appeasing the U.S. and protecting the accused soldiers.  Earlier on in the case, Secretary Gonzales said that with the exception of the main suspect Daniel Smith, he would have just charged the rest of the accused with lighter offenses, namely, Staff Sergeant Chad Brian Carpintier and Lance Corporals Keith Silkwood, Dominic Duplantis, if he had not given in to mob rule.

But then again the Subic Rape Case is instructive of the situation of the country now. Even as Nicole suffers and the wheels of justice grind slowly, no thanks to the lawyers of the accused, the Arroyo administration continues to expose the Filipino people to more cases of rape, abuse, and violence by U.S. soldiers.

There has been a continuous presence of U.S. Special Forces in the country, especially in Mindanao ever since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo supported the U.S. “war on terror”, received a substantial amount as U.S. military assistance and allowed U.S. troops to participate in the war in Mindanao purportedly to flush out the Abu Sayyaf group.

They are not here merely to repair schools, build roads and bridges, conduct relief efforts, and undertake medical and dental missions.  They are here to train, advice, and support combat units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). U.S. soldiers were sighted in war rooms of the AFP whenever a battle is raging not only against the Abu Sayyaf but also against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sulu. 

Reportedly, U.S. soldiers are also poised to participate in military operations against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP). The terror listing of the CPP-NPA was the first step.  It is also not merely a coincidence that the series of political killings is patterned after Operation Phoenix, which was implemented by the U.S. during the Vietnam War. The brutality of U.S. military operations in Iraq is also indicative of their methods.

Recently, the Arroyo administration signed another agreement with the U.S. for the creation of a Security Engagement Board (SEB) jointly headed by the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command and Gen. Generoso Senga, Chief of Staff of the AFP.  This will further broaden and deepen U.S. military intervention in the internal affairs of the country.

 It is not surprising though since President Arroyo seem to be the most ardent supporter and admirer of U.S. Pres. George W. Bush.  She tried to promote the U.S. war on terror and the invasion of Iraq even as majority in the international community were against it, including the millions of people participating in anti-war rallies.  She is pushing for the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill, which is a local version of the U.S. Patriot Act, and is designed to constrict civil liberties to suppress dissent.

The Arroyo administration serves as the collector of the U.S. and other economically powerful nations as it imposed a heavier tax burden on the Filipino people, the 12 percent Revised Value Added Tax, to enable the government to pay its onerous debts to these countries.

The Arroyo administration is presiding over the wholesale sell-out of the country’s patrimony and resources by pushing for the removal of protective provisions in the 1987 Constitution and allowing big foreign mining corporations to extract the country’s mineral resources.  It has made the Filipino people vulnerable to profiteering by foreign corporations, including monopolistic oil companies, through its policies of liberalization, deregulation, and privatization. 

Is there hope for justice for Nicole if the Arroyo administration has already sold out to the U.S., not only her but the whole Filipino people? Is there still cause for celebrating Independence Day on June 12 when the U.S., which took over the colonial reins from Spain, still lord it over the political, economic, and social affairs of the country?

For as long as the Filipino people take on the struggle of Nicole as their own, there is hope. For as long as the Filipino people stand up collectively to assert their rights, as what will happen in the afternoon of June 12 at the Liwasang Bonifacio where a broad array of people will show their protest against the Charter Change initiatives of the Arroyo government, there is cause for celebration. 

For as long as the Filipino people tirelessly pursue justice, freedom, and democracy, Independence Day celebrations will assume greater significance. Bulatlat     

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