By Lyn Bajao,
Correspondent
AS ITS opening salvo, around 50 activists burned the flags of US and China in an indignation rally to dramatize their outrage and resistance to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), here on Monday.
Led by the Bagong Al-yansang Makabayan-Northern Mindanao Region (Ba-yan-NMR), the anti-Apec activists carried placards with messages lambasting the Aquino government for hosting the Apec 2015. The activists also shouted slogans calling for the junking of Apec and reiterating that “Philippines is not for sale.”
Roger Plana, secretary general of Kalumbay—a lumad confederation in the region—testified how in the name of “development” that large scale mining and plantation projects has eventually claimed the lives of his fellow Higaonon ang Manobo tribal leaders. In the region alone, two massacres of lumad, in Bugna and Pangantucan towns.
For his part, Michael Pineda, secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, lambasted the failed promises of the government in making the Philippines a so called “new tiger in Asia,” after 25 years of being member of Apec, starting from President Fidel Ramos up to BS Aquino.
He jokingly said in vernacular that “tigre..tigepack, tigepair…lang gihapon ang mga Pilipino hangtud karun.”
Hugo “Ka Jerry” Or-cullo, the chairperson of Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees laban sa Aresto at Detensyon (Selda) in the region and president of Cagayan de Oro Press Club, composed a poem entitled: “APEC-atik,” which he read during the rally.
The US and China Flag was then burned to ashes while Wildon Barros, chairperson of Bayan- NMR, synthesized the issues of the day calling APEC as a hegemonic ploy of superpower nations to consolidate their control over “factory Asia” and exploit its resources.
“The financial meltdown, the Information technology and housing bubble is a symptom which explains that US imperialism is already bound to crumble because of its innate crisis- surplus of capital and production,” said Barros.
Barros also called on workers and oppressed people of the world to unite against imperialism.
In Valencia City, Bukid-non, around 1,000 farmers and lumad led by Kasama-Bukidnon also held a noise barrage and march rally that converged at the Oval Ground of the city plaza.
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