#us militarization

For Immediate Release

October 9th, 2015

Reference:

Cole Carothers, Chairperson, GABRIELA New York, [email protected]

Katrina Cortes, Coordinator BAYAN North East Queer Caucus, [email protected]

ONE YEAR LATER, WE STILL DEMAND JUSTICE FOR JENNIFER LAUDE

One year ago, Jennifer Laude, a 26 year old woman from Leyte, Philippines was taken from family and friends because of atrocious acts of violence. U.S. Marine Corporal PFC Joseph Scott Pemberton murdered Jennifer in Olangapo City near his military base in Subic Bay. Impunity for U.S. servicemen under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) has stalled justice from being properly served for Jennifer. Pemberton has since admitted to stranglingJennifer to death, yet there is no movement in his case--in fact, he is comfortably enjoying his military salary in US custody!

GABRIELA New York and BAYAN North East Queer Caucus join the rest of the world in calling for justice still one year later and demanding an end to all forms of violence against women, LGBTQIGNC people of color and an end to all systemic entities that allow violence to prosper. Nearly every two days, someone in the world is murdered for expressing their gender nonconformity. Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming folks of color are amongst the most marginalized, exploited, underrepresented and isolated in our communities. We cannot continue to ignore the aggressive attack on LGBTQIGNC people of color in the United States and across the globe. The time has come that we must end all kinds of violence in the forms of hate, state repression, displacement, poverty and erasure.

Violence against women also continues to be a practice of U.S. servicemen in the Philippines. In 2009, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was convicted of rape of a Filipina woman yet was acquitted of charges after two years in protection of the U.S. military. This underscores the amount of special treatment military officials receive in the Philippines even in the face of convicting evidence. Jennifer’s murderer is no different in the special treatment of Pemberton. The Visiting Forces Agreement and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement delay of justice rewards and encourages U.S. military to continue violating the human rights of Filipinos in the Philippines and here in the U.S. We must keep our people safe, U.S. Military should be out of the Philippines!

Day 3, Subic Bay - July 23, 2015

One of our stops for Day 3 was Subic Bay, probably most famous for having a large U.S. military base. Recently, it had hit the news again because a trans-gender Filipina, Jennifer Laude, was murdered by a U.S. serviceman nearby.

US militarization in the Philippines is not new. As the "pivot point" in WWII and a stepping stone to the East, the strategic location of the Philippines along with its natural wealth has played a large part in the US's continuing military and economic interest in the region.

As our guide explained, even though the base is currently decommissioned, the U.S. still maintains a strong military force here. Rather than spending money housing their soldiers, U.S. servicemen actually now are stationed at PHILIPPINE bases, free of charge, thanks to unequal power agreements between the two governments. That means that the Philippine people are paying for foreign soldiers to be stationed here. Additionally, there are also areas called 'U.S. command centers' on the bases where Philippine officials cannot enter without permission from the head of military centers. That includes the mayor of whatever town the U.S. center is based at and is where Pembleton was kept under U.S. custody after the murder of Jennifer Laude. As Kuya Rusty explained, "Do you know what this means? Philippine officials cannot even enter their own land without permission from the U.S."

The unequal partnership goes on and on. From the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Act and the Visiting Forces Agreement to the danger of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the U.S. strives to maintain the unequal power dynamic that undermines Philippine sovereignty and protects rapists and murderers among their ranks.

And the exceptions don't end there. The U.S. forces are not subject to Philippine environmental laws and regulations, leading them to commit acts without having to fear repercussion. Kuya explained that U.S. soldiers had been found illegally dumping human and chemical wastes in Subic Bay, ignoring environmental regulations. They were asked not to block the bay in order to maintain water flow. Predictably, the bay was blocked. A ways away, Kuya pointed out the area that the U.S. tests bombs and drones, easy to see because that area was no longer covered with trees and other greenery.

now i need to readjust my friends list. ugh 

starts liking shit on my wall and writes about the time he was in S. Korea   in 1979 ...

  Dear god... I need to stay away from this dude 

  damn.. do you even know what that means to me? to my people? for the US military to intervene and invade my country? in the name of what.. democracy? capitalism? anti-communism?