MANILA — Environmental groups led by Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) protested in front of the US Embassy in Manila on Saturday, Nov. 16 on the global day of action for climate justice and peace.
The groups assailed the United States, which they described as the primary driver of the climate crisis and global warfare.
“We gather here today at the forefront of US imperialist control in the Philippines to denounce imperialism. The United States, as both the world’s largest polluter and military force, wields its power to perpetuate global injustice—fueling wars, exploiting natural resources, and causing environmental devastation,” said Jonila Castro of Akap Ka Manila Bay and People Rising for Climate Justice – Philippines.
They also denounced the comeback of Donald Trump as US president, as the US hastens its pursuit of military expansion and fossil fuel extraction.
“The imperialist powers of the United States force our country to remain semi-colonial and semi-feudal, with Marcos Jr. acting as a willing puppet. Foreign companies, in collusion with big-business oligarchs, plunder our natural resources, receiving a green light from the government through the enactment of neoliberal policies. Consequently, our country is experiencing a record-breaking climate catastrophe due to the decimation of our vital watersheds,” Castro added.
Bayan Secretary General Raymond Palatino said the rise of Trump “brings us closer towards even more foreign aggression. We must stand up and resist the continued presence of U.S. military forces in our country to protect our peace and sovereignty.”
YACAP asserted that climate justice cannot exist without accountability for wealthy nations that fuel wars, militarization, and exploitation, which harm vulnerable communities and the planet’s biodiversity.
“We must unite in solidarity with workers, farmers, Indigenous groups, women, youth, and environmental defenders leading the fight for a just and sustainable future,” they added. (RVO)
Text by Anne Marxze Umil
Photos by Altermidya
