New wave of “Terror-Scare” an old US Imperialist ploy to intensify military intervention for US military basing and economic interest

Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlo

Spokesperson

National Democratic Front of the Philippines

Mindanao November 6, 2010

There has been a series of “terror-scare” spreading in the country of late. The National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Mindanao (NDFP-Mindanao) views this chain of events along the following the lines:

1. The United States, being in the throes of a deep recession and trapped in the quagmire of wars of aggression in the Middle East, is looking up to the Philippines as its second front to secure its geo-politics in the Asia-Pacific, protect its economic interest and unhampered US military basing in the country. It had to install a more reliable ally — Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III – through a pre-programmed election and drum up a new wave of terror to justify its intensified military intervention.

2. Reminiscent of its old tactic that led to the terror events in the Philippines after the 9/11 attacks, this scheme is to justify the increasing presence of US troops in the country, and more aggressively launch the US counter insurgency strategy. Recently, some three thousand US soldiers have arrived to participate in joint military trainings in Luzon called CARAT and Phiblex, obvously, in blatant violation of our sovereignty. Hacienda Luisita of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan has even been targeted as the venue for these military exercises.

3. This wave of “terror-threats” and its subsequent violent “counter-terror” campaigns is a prelude to a full throttle attack against the revolutionary movement come January 2011. It comes as no surprise that AFP propaganda spin-doctors have maliciously rehashed the baseless “NPA-MILF-Abu Sayyaf” collusion angle.

Just recently, the AFP redeployed the 1st Marine Brigade from Basilan to Sarangani, in time for the resumption of the GRP-MILF talks, as leverage for the negotiation, and to help quell the growing NPA forces in the area. This big force will also secure the completion of US military base facilities in the SOCSKSARGEN area.

4. The US, in cahoots with other imperialists countries and its puppet Aquino regime have had staged a tactical ploy to make the Filipinos and the world believe of such a “terror threat.” Locally, the stage was set with the October 21 bus bombing in Matalam, North Cotabato, where the Aquino regime quickly attributed this to the Al-Khobar extortionist group and later connected it to the Jemaah Islamiah. And in a latest twist, a new terrorist group called the Jihadist Ulamah had to be conjured to lend credence to their terror-hype, to replace the bland Abu Sayyaf.

5. The idea of “security threats” poses no difference from the Glorietta bombing incidents in 2007 and in the Davao twin bombings in 2003 where the reactionary regime, in its interest to preserve US presence in the country, engineered the ploy. In fact, a bombing incident in May 2002 involving an FBI covert operative — Michael Meiring — posing as a treasure hunter exposed that the US had a hand in the bombings.

6. Despite denials from the Aquino regime that the “terror-scare” has nothing to do with the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), such security threat occurred at the height of reviewing the onerous Visiting Forces Agreement. The NDFP– Mindanao had earlier called on the people to oppose it and press the GRP to rescind this lopsided agreement. The Aquino government is set to have it reviewed and amended without the consent of the Philippine Legislature, making a mockery of its own constitutionally mandated Senate.

7. The US-Aquino regime has no plan to lift the terror tag against the CPP-NPA-NDF and these terror threats could be spitefully used as a license to amend the VFA for intensified anti-terror campaigns against the revolutionary movement. This usual terror line will only result to crackdown against the Moro people, political activists and political opposition block. The reactionary regime could also use this ploy as an excuse to derail the peace talks with the MILF and the NDFP.

As revealed in the US Counter-Insurgency Guide (US Coin Guide), there is no let up for the US in advancing its political and economic interests in the Philippines through the new puppet regime of Aquino.

Open opposition, both locally and abroad, to the US war of aggression is meted out with fascist brutality, such as arrests and prosecution, and even extra-judicial killings. In the US in fact, political activists have been subpoenaed and even arrested by the FBI to silence political groups opposed to imperialist wars.

Hence, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in Mindanao (NDFP-Mindanao) calls on the Filipino people to expose and oppose whatever machinations the US imperialism carries out to sustain its presence here.

Source: Philippine Revolution