National Democratic Front of the Philippines
INITIAL
SHOOTING BY U.S. SOLDIER EXEMPLIFIES EXTREME ARROGANCE
The
National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) condemns the brutal
shooting of an unarmed and defenseless man by American trooper Reggie Lane
around midnight July 25, 2002 in Barangay Kanas, Tuburan, Basilan, Philippines.
Through
this act of extreme arrogance by an American soldier, the trampling of
Philippine national sovereignty by the escalating U.S. military intervention
in the Philippines is concretely demonstrated.
All the illusions about the U.S. troops being in the Philippines only
for training and not getting involved in combat operations, or having weapons
only for self-defense, -- all these are dispelled in this midnight raid on the
Isnijal family and the U.S. soldier leading the armed troopers in barging into
the family home and shooting Mr. Isnijal.
President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her regime must be held accountable for their
utter puppetry to the U.S. government. She
cannot avoid through simplistic comments the serious issues raised concerning
the shooting of Isnijal by the U.S. soldier and the coming in of many more
U.S. troops, which she said should be “more geographically spread”.
The Filipino people are bound to rise up in huge mass actions to
vigorously oppose this intensifying U.S. military intervention.
The forthcoming visit of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and the
threat of a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) being signed will only
rouse greater and more militant popular protest.
The
NDFP and all its allied organizations are committed to uphold Philippine
national sovereignty and territorial integrity and to defend these against
those who would trample on these fundamental rights of the Filipino people.
The
NDFP calls for the immediate presentation of Buyong-buyong Isnijal by the
Southern Command of the Philippine Army under Lt. Gen. Ernesto Carolina to his
family and religious (Muslim and/or Christian) and human rights organizations
acceptable to the Isnijal family. This
is necessary for his safety and protection against further gross violations of
his rights and the rights of his family.
The
NDFP likewise calls on the American people to stand up, as they did during the
U.S. war of aggression against the Vietnamese people, to vigorously oppose the
military interventionist policies of the Bush administration.
We count on their support as we also count on the solidarity of other
peoples.
Luis
G. Jalandoni