US drones and clones

DIE HARD III / Herman Tiu Laurel / 8/19/2013 / Daily Tribune

In several episodes of "Politics Today" on GNN, former Parañaque congressman and US Naval Academy graduate Roilo Golez lambasted those whom he calls "leftist nationalists." According to him, all they do is incessantly protest US Naval ships visiting our shores while keeping mum about Chinese maritime vessels plying Philippine waters. Others, such as FVR national security adviser Jose Almonte and anti-communist Party-list Rep. Jun Alcover, have echoed the same line — which should lead us to ask: Why don't they mind US ships encroaching into Philippine waters, more so without authorization, such as in the case of the USS Guardian in Tubbataha Reef?

The US not only sends regular vessels but docks its nuclear ships in Philippine ports — not caring one bit for the Philippines as a constitutionally-declared "nuclear free zone." Of course, the US is neither going to confirm nor deny this.
US naval violations of Philippine sovereignty have been a problem for decades, especially after the termination of its bases in the country. However, the situation has become even more complicated with the advent of its massive use (or misuse) of aerial drones in the Philippines.
In February 2012, Mindanao news media reported the drone killing of some Abu Sayyaf elements. Then, in January 2013, we can recall that a US drone was fished out off the island of Masbate.

Last week, a Mindanao religious, Sister Noemi Degala, executive secretary of the Sisters' Association in Mindanao (Samin), called on the Philippine government to reject US requests to permit a drone base in the country (as if there is none yet). Degala dubbed this as a "killer program," citing the case of Pakistan where thousands of innocent women, children, and men are killed by such drones as "collateral damage." Policymic.com cites the finding of Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute that Pakistani civilians killed by US drones are "significantly and consistently underestimated" by tracking organizations. And, citing a New York Times report quoting Pakistani sources, some estimate that "50 civilians are killed for every one terrorist."

The worst part of such US (and Central Intelligence Agency) drone strikes is the targeting of "first responders," or rescuers who run to the aid of victims in such attacks. This second drone strike specifically targets those who aid the wounded, while the succeeding ones are aimed at funeral rites for those killed in previous strikes. As the CIA assumes that all those who sympathize with the slain "terrorists" are guilty by association, the world has probably never seen a more cowardly, inhuman, and inhumane policy such as this.

The drone warfare program of the US-CIA is so scandalous that it has elicited condemnation from even the most spineless international diplomatic office in the world — the United Nations, with the UN Secretary-General declaring civilian US drone casualties as "unacceptable."

Filipinos must therefore object and protest the use of such drones everywhere, particularly within the air space of this country. I am in solidarity with all those who have protested the presence and use of US drones since its first reported use in early 2012 and in the Masbate drone incident.
Now, we join and encourage all Filipinos to be one with Degala and Samin in demanding that the Philippines reject any requests from the US to establish a drone base anywhere in the country and to stop any use of such drones within Philippine land and seas.

This campaign must be carried to all the schools, churches, and other forums. Hence, I extend this invitation to Sister Degala and Samin to appear in any one of GNN's shows, including mine, to air this issue further.

Meanwhile, I would like to address the good ex-solon from Parañaque and his colleagues to join all conscientious Filipinos in rising up against the US' drone warfare and its attempts at securing permission to establish its drone base in the Philippines by calling for their rejection.
Let us remind one and all that when that US drone killed those suspected Abu Sayyaf elements back in 2012, they were mere suspects — never brought to court to face justice — and simply presumed guilty on the say-so of US "intelligence."

If former Rep. Golez and his ilk cannot speak out against such blatant US abuses, then we cannot help but think of them as US clones being silent on the evils of drones everywhere and the US' continuing violation of Philippine sovereignty.

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