Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines
January 18, 2007
US spying in the country constitutes foreign military interference — CPP
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today lambasted the US for
its involvement in intelligence gathering against local armed groups in
the country, saying this constitutes foreign military interference that
must be condemned and put to a stop.
The CPP view was in reaction to statements by Malacañang and the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP), citing US involvement in the reported
killing of an Abu Sayaff leader. It demanded that “a complete accounting
be made of US military presence and operations in Mindanao and elsewhere
within Philippine territory in order to check and put a stop to foreign
military interference.”
CPP spokesperson Gregorio “Ka Roger ” Rosal said statements by
Malacañang and the the AFP pompously declaring that that the killing
last Tuesday of Jainal Antel Sali, whom the AFP claims to be Abu Sayaff
leader Abu Solaiman, was largely achieved through the intelligence
efforts of the US military, “confirm the depth of involvement of US
military forces in military operations in Sulu and in the internal
affairs of the country.”
Rosal said that the Arroyo regime’s stressing of the point that the
involvement of US military forces is limited to “intelligence gathering”
is merely “a propaganda ploy to understate and cover-up the direct
involvement of foreign troops in combat operations prohibited in the
1987 Philippine constitution.”
The CPP spokesperson pointed out that “intelligence operations are vital
aspects of military operations and, moreover, the intelligence
operations that US troops are engaged in here are not merely for general
or strategic purposes but constitute tactical combat intelligence
operations that go hand in hand with actual combat operations.”
Rosal said that with such intelligence information, the US military is
able to virtually control and direct the operations of the AFP, telling
the local armed forces when and where to strike. The AFP has thus become
only an extension of the US armed forces operating in the country and
employed against those considered to be enemies of the US.
“Intelligence gathering or spying by such a foreign military force
operating in the country constitutes actual military intervention and
tramples on Philippine sovereignty. That this is being carried out with
official approval constitutes national treachery on the part of the
Arroyo regime and its top military officials,” said Rosal.
Rosal said that in the past US officials have been more forthright in
describing the operations of their troops stationed in the country.
Rosal recalled that in 2002, then US Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz
said that US military aid to the Philippines “includes direct support of
military operations (against the Abu Sayyaf).” Actual involvement of US
troops in local combat operations have long been confirmed by media
reports and interviews with local residents who were quoted as having
seen fully-armed US troops accompanying Filipino soldiers in combat
operations against the Abu Sayaff.
The CPP spokesperson said that the Filipino people demand a complete
accounting of the number and activities of US troops, especially those
which have been permanently stationed in the Philippines, particularly
in AFP camps in Zamboanga and elsewhere in Mindanao.
He urged patriotic groups, independent organizations, fact-finding
missions and legislators to carry out investigations into the presence
and nature of operations of the US Joint Special Operations Task
Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P), a contingent of the US Pacific Command
permanently stationed in Mindanao. “Actually, these are no longer
‘visiting forces,’ but rather ‘overstaying forces’,” said Rosal.
Reference:
Marco Valbuena
Media Officer
Cellphone Numbers: 09179776392 :: 09282242061
E-mail:cppmedia@gmail.com