Protests greet Washington refusal to turn over rapist US Marines; Lawmakers demand Visiting Forces Agreement termination

Members of the two Houses of the Philippine Congress have crossed party lines to support the Filipino people's demand for the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement that allows renewed US military presence in the Philippines in the guise of military exercises with the local police and military.

Public uproar and the resulting joint action by Members of Congress were spurred by the refusal of the US to turn over custody over four US Marines accused of raping a 21-year old Filipina at the former Subic Naval Base in Nov. 2005. Rape is a heinous, non-bailable offense under Philippine law.

In its note verbale in response to a Philippine request for custody, the US Embassy justified its continued custody over the four rapist US Marines on the basis of provisions of the VFA. Dated Jan. 16, the note verbale came after exactly two months from the filing of the Philippine request.

The League of Filipino Students (LFS) immediately responded with a lightning rally near the US Embassy and burned a US flag to dramatize nationwide uproar over the US decision.

Bayan Muna (People First) Representative Satur C. Ocampo, the House Deputy Minority Leader, said the US refusal to turnover custody shows “US arrogance and disrespect of Philippine interests and laws” and confirms the “master-slave” relationship between Washington and Manila.

Ocampo, a long-time critic of US imperialism, has vowed to lead House sponsors of the joint resolution for the VFA's termination. “The case before us today should finally erase all doubts that the VFA is a fair agreement. It is a very unfair and onerous agreement that should be terminated in defense of our national interests.”

US military bases were shut down in 1992 after the Philippine Senate voted to junk a proposed treaty. US military forces were allowed reentry under the Arroyo government by virtue of the VFA.

Philippine and US military officials claim that military exercises were aimed at improving local defense capability to defeat the Abu Sayyaf Group, a bandit group which was first organized by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and US military advisors as a foil to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front waging a war for independence in Southern Philippines.

Full text of Visiting Forces Agreement