Militants reject incoming Trump presidency

MANILA, Philippines — Progressive groups yesterday opposed the second presidency of Donald Trump in the United States ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20, warning the public that he is the biggest threat to world peace, justice and democracy.

Around 100 members of Bayan Muna, Health Alliance for Democracy, Katribu, Kadamay, Kilusang Mayo Uno and Alliance of Health Workers marched from the corner of Taft Avenue and Kalaw Avenue to the US embassy at past 10 a.m. yesterday, according to a report from the Manila Police District (MPD).

The militant groups were led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary-general Mong Palatino, Liza Masa and Mek Lidasan.

A police mobile truck and police officers wearing camouflage, vests and helmets and carrying anti-riot shields, however, blocked the rallyists, who held their program in front of the Museo Pambata just beside the embassy along the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard.

They carried placards and banners saying “Down with US imperialism,” “Trump at Biden walang pinagkaiba (no difference),” “Climate justice and peace now” and “Foreign troops, out now,” police reported.

Palatino called on the US government to “abolish all EDCA sites in the country,” referring to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites that can be used by the US armed forces when visiting the Philippines, according to reports on social media.

For Bayan, Trump’s second presidency will generate stronger resistance amid the intensifying rivalry of global superpowers.

Bayan said that like his predecessor Joe Biden, Trump would preserve and expand US hegemony by containing rivals like Russia and China.

“This will lead to more troop deployments in the Asia-Pacific and the building of US military outposts in countries like the Philippines,” the group said in a statement.

It added that it expects Trump to reward President Marcos and other “corrupt” allies for allowing the US to conduct military drills, store weapons of mass destruction and install bases across the country.

Bayan called for the immediate expulsion of US troops and military facilities in the country.

“We call for more localized protests against all US bases in the Philippines and the rejection of US-led military exercises and operations across the country,” Bayan said.

Maza, a former lawmaker from Gabriela party-list who seeks to enter the Senate in the 2025 midterm elections, said Trump’s immigration policy would potentially displace around 309,000 “undocumented Filipino laborers in the US.”

The militants ended their rally by tearing up photos of Trump and outgoing US President Biden.

They ended their program at 10:38 a.m., and Roxas Boulevard was cleared at 10:40 a.m., making it passable once again to vehicles, according to the MPD.

Warmongering

Philippine human rights group Karapatan is anticipating warmongering in Asia and threats against Filipinos to shoot up with Donald Trump’s return to power as president of the United States.

“While returning US President Donald Trump took pains to distance himself from his predecessor Joe Biden during the electoral campaign, there is one striking issue where the two of them agree on: intensifying efforts to drag the Philippines into US warmongering schemes in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly against China and North Korea. Trump’s hostility toward China certainly matches, if not surpasses, that of Biden,” Karapatan chairperson Cristina Palabay said.

Palabay insisted that the recent creation of the Philippines-Security Sector Assistance Roadmap (P-SSAR) “seeks to ensure the provision of continuing US military assistance to puppet regimes in the Philippines, starting with the Marcos Jr. government.”

“Trump can be expected to affirm and pursue the P-SSAR, which will ostensibly facilitate the country’s transition from internal security operations to a ‘robust territorial defense posture’ – a roundabout way of saying that it is aimed at enhancing the Philippine military’s capability to pander to the US’s bellicose designs in the Asia-Pacific,” Palabay said.

The P-SSAR jumpstarted with the signing of the General Military Information Agreement and the publicized combined coordination center of the US and Philippine armed forces during the last quarter of 2024, according to Karapatan.

Palabay said Trump is also expected to uphold Biden’s commitment of $500-million military aid to the Philippine government to implement the P-SSAR, while Marcos pursues his National Security Policy that mimics the US counter-insurgency blueprint. — Artemio Dumlao