ADVERTISEMENT
“Prince Albert, US sovereignty is apparently above Philippines' environmental laws.”
“The US Navy not only incurred considerable damage to our world heritage site, they also clearly violated our Philippine sovereignty and laws.”
Until now, the Obama administration has not yet responded to the Supreme Court order to explain the US side on the Tubbataha incident. This shows “the US government’s disrespect for our justice system and its indifference on how we assert our sovereignty.”
“US troops have a history of environmental crimes in the Philippines that have remained unaddressed with impunity.” – Dr. Giovanni Tapang, Agham
Progressive groups are hounding the 2013 joint US-RP military exercises, which begins today, to protest the continuous assault on the country’s sovereignty, the human rights violations resulting from it and the toxic wastes it leaves behind.
National labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned today the Holy week docking of three US Navy vessels in the country for so-called “routine port calls,” saying the incident shows that the country’s Visiting Forces Agreement with the US is deeply one-sided and that it violates the country’s Constitution.
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
“This type of violence against women doesn’t leave any physical or emotional mark. This is the type of violence against women that is silent but treacherously violates women’s as well as people’s rights. This is violence brought about by poverty and imperialist plunder.” – Gabriela
By MARYA SALAMAT
Despite the Philippine government having agreed to increased use of the country by US troops, warships and warplanes, there are no clear guidelines on what to do in cases of mishaps, accidents, etc.
‘Workers mark Edsa anniv with US Embassy march (Photos by Mayday Multimedia / Bulatlat.com)
By MARYA SALAMAT
“The issue of Tubbataha again underscores the problems with the Visiting Forces Agreement. A crime was committed against our country and yet the Philippine government could not even conduct its own investigation of the perpetrators.” – Bayan
By JHESSET THRINA ENANO
“The Visiting Forces Agreement led to this situation in the first place. Without the VFA, we call it ‘invasion.’” – Dr. Giovanni Tapang, Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya Para sa Sambayanan
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
“Only through taking steps in building the domestic economy and ensuring social welfare intervention can joblessness and forced migration be truly addressed. Without these, the Philippine economy cannot be a rising tiger, only a mythical beast feasting on the desperation of our Filipino labor force.” – Migrante
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat.com While the Filipino people are still following with trepidation the developments regarding the removal of the USS Guardian from the Tubbataha reef, two more US ships – nuclear attack submarine USS Cheyenne and warship USS Stockdale,...
By MARYA SALAMAT
Progressive groups agreed to file a petition before the Supreme Court “to compel the Aquino government to seek claims, to exhaust all means to investigate what happened, and to defend Philippine sovereignty.”
Read also: Another US Navy submarine arrives amid unsolved Tubbataha grounding
Read main story: Punish US Navy for violating Phl laws; Stop use of Phl as US military base, Aquino urged By MARYA SALAMAT Bulatlat.com MANILA – As it becomes clearer that the US Navy’s minesweeper USS Guardian could not just be dragged away from the erstwhile...
By MARYA SALAMAT
“Like what we did with the Chinese poachers who entered the Tubbataha Reef area, the USS Guardian officials and crew should be arrested and apprehended. The Philippine government should be the one doing the direct investigation and take custody of the violators.” -- Kalikasan PNE
Read also: Whitewash, greater damage to reef, marine life feared for Tubbataha
By MARYA SALAMAT
According to the Tubbataha management office, it is highly probable that the ship has damaged large portions of the heritage sites’ coral reefs, thus violating pertinent Philippine laws, including Republic Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs National Park Act of 2009.
A community of readers and supporters that help us sustain our operations through microdonations for as low as $1.