“The US are the true terrorists, both Blinken and Austin are the Gaza war criminals,” said Ysabelle Briones, spokesperson of Youth for Justice and Peace.
On July 31, a day after the meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and US Secretary Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, various progressive youth groups stormed the US embassy in Manila to condemn the Marcos Jr. administration’s welcoming of the US officials.
According to the youth groups, Filipinos should see Marcos Jr.’s openness to such agreements as a betrayal of his countrymen.
Blinken and Austin first visited Japan, a known US ally, and spoke with their counterparts before traveling to the Philippines. Their dialogue with Japan affirmed an upgrade of the US military command in the country, noting that the threat from China is the “greatest strategic challenge.”
The agreements offered by the US to Japan are similar to their commitments in the Philippines, including a pledged funding of $500 million to boost military and coast guard efforts following heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea.
While in the country, Blinken and Austin were invited to Malacañang Palace ahead of meetings with their Filipino counterparts Enrique Manalo and Gilberto Teodoro. This was also the first time the country hosted the so-called “2+2” meetings between the US and the Philippines.
This did not sit well with the youth groups, who demanded that such agreements be withdrawn.
“We need to be angry at them because their agenda here is to intensify military presence and interference in our country to make the Philippines a pawn in their brewing war against China. Blinken and Austin are both criminals who should be unequivocally expelled from our country,” said Briones.
How the US supports Israel in waging a genocidal war
Briones said that the US is the ultimate perpetrator of numerous human rights violations in many countries, including Ukraine and Gaza.
“The US is responsible for the bloodshed of the Palestinian people. Because of them, along with Zionist Israel, thousands of women, elderly, and children have lost their lives and futures. There is no place in the Philippines for these Gaza war criminals,” Briones added.
For almost a decade, Israel has received support from the US based on the third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two countries. The MOU provides a total of $38 billion in military aid for 10 years, $33 billion to procure military equipment, and $5 billion for missile defense systems. Aside from this, last year, US President Joe Biden sought a $95 billion supplemental spending bill which included $14 billion in support for Israel.
This makes Israel the largest recipient of US foreign aid since its founding in 1948, receiving about $310 billion for economic and military assistance.
According to data, Israel disbursed $3.3 billion in fiscal year 2022, and this support from the US has been consistent with previous years since 2019.
Since the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, the US has provided Israel with a whopping $12.5 billion in military aid, including $3.8 billion from a bill in March 2024 (in line with the current MOU) and $8.7 billion from a supplemental appropriations act in April 2024.
There are also plans for joint US-Israeli missile defense programs with a budget of $500 million a year. This joint agreement affirms collaboration on the research, development, and production of activities conducted by Israel in waging a genocidal war against Palestine.
As of July 30, the Health Ministry in Gaza reported a war death toll of 39,400 in almost 10 months of genocidal attacks by Israel on Palestine.
Burning of US flag
The youth groups burned a US flag as a symbol of their fervent fight for justice.
“You see, this is the fate of US imperialism at the hands of the oppressed masses. This symbolic action is for all the lives they have taken. Our actions today are for all the victims of genocide in Palestine. For all the youth, for Jennifer Laude, for the Filipino people,” said Briones.
