By Juliane Judilla
Multi-sectoral progressive groups, led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), staged a protest coinciding with the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, January 20.
Protesters marched from Kalaw Avenue to the United States Embassy in Metro Manila, condemning what they described as the expansion of U.S. military intervention in the Philippines and “warmongering” tactics that escalate tensions in the Asia-Pacific.
According to BAYAN, the Trump administration is unlikely to change U.S. foreign policy, prompting demonstrations that assert “the people’s sovereignty and resistance against imperialist meddling.”
The MAKABAYAN coalition denounced Trump’s inauguration, highlighting concerns over the repression of civil rights affecting U.S.-based Filipino immigrants. They warned that Trump’s controversial statements on controlling the Panama Canal and annexing Greenland reflect a “madman strategy” that could destabilize regional peace and Philippine sovereignty.
“We can expect outrageous U.S. intervention in the Asia-Pacific and the Philippines under Trump, given our strategic location in the U.S.-China power struggle,” said Liza Maza, MAKABAYAN President.
Maza cited concerns over the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) bases, increased joint military exercises in the West Philippine Sea, and other U.S. military operations aimed at containing China.
“Trump could easily stoke more tension and warmongering in the region at the expense of our sovereignty and security,” Maza added.
The groups also criticized Trump’s harsh immigration policies, which they said endanger the rights and welfare of more than four million Filipino Americans, including nearly two million Filipino immigrants in the U.S.
Trump has reportedly vowed to launch the largest deportation drive in U.S. history, including immigration raids involving 200 officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“Millions of our fellow countrymen are forced to work undocumented in the U.S. due to the severe employment crisis in the Philippines. They strive to live with dignity,” Maza said. “The inhumane treatment they receive under Trump, as if they are hardened criminals, is unacceptable. No self-respecting country should allow such treatment of its people.”
She warned that stricter immigration rules under Trump could result in thousands of Filipinos in the U.S. losing their jobs and livelihoods.
