Different progressive groups march towards the Chinese Consulate in Makati City during the Araw ng Kagitingan commemoration. (Photo courtesy of Obet De Castro)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — On the commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan today, April 9, worker’s group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) deplored President Rodrigo Duterte’s supposed act of betrayal to the national interest of the country to accommodate the demands of China and its government.
In a statement on Tuesday, KMU chairperson Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog emphasized that the Chinese government is neither a friend nor an ally of the Philippines, but a powerful country “taking full advantage of a relatively weaker one to push forward its own economic and political interests.”
Labog slammed the controversial Chinese loan agreements entered by the Duterte government believed to favor Chinese interest over those of the Philippines.
“Duterte and his economic advisers and officials are fooling no one but themselves when they say the deals they are brokering with China will benefit the Philippines and the Filipino people. Analyzing the nature and provisions of the loan agreements already reveal how the Philippines is at the losing end, and most of the advantages will be reaped by China,” he said.
KMU said that Duterte committed “highly impeachable offenses” by “colluding” with China over onerous government contracts and economic agreements.
Labog pointed out that China cannot be trusted as it charges the highest interest rates among all of the Philippines’ bilateral donors.
READ: Colmenares hits lopsided PH loan agreement with China
“Duterte is committing gross acts of betrayal against national sovereignty and patrimony by engaging in deals that essentially force the Philippines to open up its natural and strategic resources to China’s access and plunder,” Labog said.
He added: “China is aggressively pushing for more access to Philippine resources, and Duterte is aiding and abetting it. This is all a massive mess of political corruption and economic sabotage against Philippine national interests. Duterte should be made accountable for this.”
Deals with another government as “treacherous” as China will backfire on the Philippines, Labog warned.
KMU lambasted that China is now already bullying the country over the issue of the West Philippine Sea. “China cares nothing about the Philippines outside of what it can exploit and extract,” Labog said.
READ: Duterte admin hit for being ‘inutile’ against China aggression in WPS
The group joined other progressive organizations in an Araw ng Kagitingan protest action against China at the Chinese Consulate in Makati City today.
Unite vs China
Meanwhile, Anakpawis party-list representative Ariel Casilao urged the people to generate the resistance movement to oppose “Chinese imperialism” and assert the “right to self-determination” and “national sovereignty of the Philippines.
“Filipinos should learn from the experience of other countries which fell victims of the Chinese debt trap,” Casilao stressed.
He blamed the Duterte administration’s supposed inaction for the Chinese incursion on the country’s territory.
“China is being exposed to the world as an imperialist power, and the people’s resistance pushed it back at this moment. It is a paper tiger, and Filipinos should unite ferociously to totally expel its forces from the Philippine territory, and hold the Duterte administration accountable, as its policy towards China is synonymous to the violation of ‘national sovereignty’ and ‘right to self-determination,” Casilao ended. (davaotoday.com)
