KARAPATAN

Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights

9-B K-9th St., West Kamias, Quezon City 1100, PHILIPPINES

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Press Statement                                                                                                                                               Reference: Marie Hilao-Enriquez

March 25, 2003                                                                                                                                                  National Secretary General

 

 

DECLARE RICCIARDONE PERSONA NON GRATA RATHER THAN EXPEL THE IRAQI DIPLOMATS

 

US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone’s comparison of the Filipino people’s uprising to oust the hated dictator Marcos in 1986 with the present American government’s illegal war against Iraq is a calculated and vicious distortion of historical events to justify the US government’s ongoing aggression in the Middle East.

 

His sacrilegious statement also shows his contempt of a people’s struggle to remove a tyrant whom the US government has ironically supported up to his dying moments.  As representative of imperialist America, Ricciardone’s statements reveal the US government’s thinking that it can manipulate all the people and nations in the world to do the US’ bidding.  The ambassador now denies the Filipino people’s valiant fight against a dictator propped up by US imperialism for 21 years.  Marcos used US support for the torture, detention, salvaging and disappearances of his political foes as well as those fighting for basic changes in society.  

 

Facts would bear that the American government is in the business of supporting dictators - Marcos and Saddam and all other dictators in the world.  It has always looked the other way when these despots committed grievous crimes against humanity on their own people so long as these puppets protect the US imperial interests.  The US government has also a record of dropping their fascist puppets once these have been found so foul-smelling and are the subject of their own people’s ire.  This was what the US imperialists did to Marcos.  When the Filipino people were so determined to oust the dictator, imperial America chose to dump him for another set of Filipino puppets it can mold to its liking.

 

Now US President George Bush defied the whole world by imposing its will on the Iraqi people by ostensibly ousting Saddam Hussein himself if the Iraqi people would not do it.  So, now an unjust war is being waged against Iraq.   And in this action, PGMA dangerously aligned the Philippines with the so-called “coalition of the willing.”  In a series of shameful acts, President Arroyo has done what George Bush ordered her to do. 

 

Recently, the DFA has again expelled two Iraqi diplomats just after Dubya’s call to the “coalition of the killers” to sever ties with the Iraqi government.  DFA Sec. Blas Ople says that the diplomats were expelled because they have links with the, err.. now favorite scapegoat, terrorists.

 

It might do well for President Arroyo to declare Ambassador Francis Ricciardone as persona non grata for trivializing the Filipino people’s struggle against a hated dictator; rather than expelling the two Iraqi envoys whom we haven’t heard of saying anything that would demean the Filipino people. This way she can make up for the series of political disasters she has plunged our country to.  And perhaps gain for us a little of our long lost national pride. ####