Obama-Arroyo deal for permanent US military presence in the Philippine treasonous, By CPP Information Bureau, Sat, 22 August 2009

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today charged Gloria Arroyo with treason "for conspiring with the US to continue and make even more permanent US military presence in the Philippines--in violation of Philippine sovereignty and the puppet government's own constitution."

The CPP said that "The forging of a secret agreement between the Philippine puppet and her new imperialist master has become more obvious in a recent official announcement by the US Defense Department that the stationing of US military in the Philippine will continue."

The Pentagon announcement came in the wake of a meeting between Gloria Arroyo and US President Barack Obama at the White House last July 30 mainly to discuss the Philippine government's role in the US's "anti-terrorist war" especially in the Southeast Asian region. In the meeting, Obama appointed the Arroyo government to serve as the "point man" for promoting and coordinating US relations in the region.

US Pacific forces commander Adm. Timothy J. Keating said, as reported by New York Times, that their work in the Philippines was not yet done. He added that "When the options were presented to our leadership, the decision was made to continue the Philippines mission." Senior Pentagon senior officials declared that they will apply to the Philippines the lessons the US military has learned in the war in Afghanistan where the US is now pouring in additional troops: "Battlefield successes need sustained commitment of military presence."

The CPP noted that Pentagon chief Robert M. Gates and CIA Director Leon Panetta came to the Philippines "to present to Arroyo in advance Obama's agenda and 'points of agreement,' with the matter of US military presence in the Philippines and its role in the Southeast Asian region foremost in the agenda."

In a brief review of the resumption of virtual US military basing since 1991 when the Philippine Senate offically closed the US military camps in the country, the CPP said that there was never any letup in the US' efforts to revive its military basing in the country in various ways. The CPP said that "After a series of US attempts to establish military basing in Thailand was finally rejected by the Thai government in 1999, the US government turned to the Philippines and by 2001 was able to exact from the Philippine government a one-sided Visiting Forces Agreement."

The CPP pointed out that in the same year, US military forces began entering the country under a so-called Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTFP). In 2002, right after then US President George W. Bush declared the Philippines as the 'second front' in the US' war of terror, continuous massive deployment of US troops in the Philippines began under the cover of Balikatan Joint US-Philippine Military Exercises.

Patriotic organizations, forces and personalities have also strongly denounced not only the permanent presence but also the direct participation of US soldiers in combat operations--ranging from combat intelligence, electronic surveillance, battlefield air support and actually joining Filipino troops in combat operations not only against bandit groups, but also against the revolutionary forces.

The CPP further pointed out that in the past years, US troops have participated in counterrevolutionary military operations in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Panay, Southern Mindanao and other regions were the New People's Army (NPA) operates, as well as in other areas of Mindanao where the Moro Islamic Liberation Front operates.

"The permanent presence and actual participation of US troops in combat operations in the Philippines constitutes foreign military intervention and trampling on Philippine sovereignty," said the CPP. "The patriotic and freedom-loving Filipino people demand and will never cease in their fight to end foreign intervention and domination in the country, including military presence and intervention."