DAVAO CITY, Philippine — The International League of Peoples’ Struggle – Philippines urged President Rodrigo Duterte to cut its military ties with the United States after a spate of attacks in Germany and Turkey.
Elmer Labog, chairperson of ILPS-Philippines, said Wednesday that Duterte should push through his declaration earlier of abrogating the defense agreement with the US.
He said the president has repeatedly “lambasted the US for its war atrocities,” a reason that he should cut ties with the US.
It can be recalled that Duterte has threatened to repeal the Visiting Forces Agreement after the US Millennium Development Corporation withheld its aid to the Philippines worth $400 million.
ILPS-Philippines also condemned the Berlin attack on Monday where it claimed 12 lives and injured 49 individuals after a truck slammed into a Christmas market.
“We mourn for the victims and denounce these attacks,” Labog said. “The US-NATO war spawned these terrorist attacks and it is high time that Pres. Duterte cut off military ties with the US lest Filipinos suffer with the world from its wars of aggression.”
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949. Presently, it has 28 member-states from across US and Europe.
Labog said they feared for the safety of Overseas Filipino Workers and immigrants in Europe and Middle East.
“Terrorist attacks have escalated since the US started its war on terror with the armed invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and now Syria,” he said. “The recent attacks in Europe is a backlash from this war.”
Labog continued, “Pres. Duterte cannot be a Trump of the East. He can render justice to the Moros and Filipino people by bringing peace in earnest with the abrogation of all unequal treaties and agreements with the US.” (davaotoday.com)
