Support Filipino people´s call to remove Filipino troops from Iraq
The International League of Peoples´ Struggle stands in solidarity with the Filipino people as they wage a just struggle to save the life of overseas Filipino worker Angelo de la Cruz captured and taken hostage in Iraq. His captors demand an immediate withdrawal of Philippine troops or he will face death.
The Filipino people have made it very clear through public mass actions such as vigils and protests of their demand that President Macapagal-Arroyo immediately withdraw Filipino troops sent to Iraq under the U.S. banner of “combating terrorism”.
We are one with the Filipino people in condemning the U.S.-Macapagal-Arroyo regime for waffling on the issue of withdrawing Filipino troops. Willfully endangering the life of its own citizen, Angelo De La Cruz and ignoring the demands of the Filipino people, President Macapagal-Arroyo exposes her utter subservience to U.S. imperialism.
We condemn In fact, the Macapagal-Arroyo regime for trying to is attempting to silence the Filipino people by violently dispersing peaceful assemblies for De La Cruz and arresting progressive activists calling for her to withdraw the Filipino troops from Iraq.
Since the U.S. launched its illegal war of aggression against the people of Iraq, President Bush has found a reliable puppet in Macapagal-Arroyo who keenly sent Filipino soldiers and more than 4,000 workers to help the U.S. invade and occupy Iraq.
The irresponsible and insensitive policy of the Philippine regime to the fate of Angelo de la Cruz clearly exposes Macapagal-Arroyo´s loyalty to U.S. imperialism. It also exposes the hideous nature of U.S. imperialism as President Bush continues on the war path to consolidate its power in Iraq in order to expand US imperialist hegemony no matter which nation´s sovereignty it violates nor how many casualties and victims it leaves in its wake.
The ILPS holds Bush and Macapagal-Arroyo directly responsible for the possible murder of Angelo de la Cruz as one more victim of the illegitimate and immoral war and occupation of Iraq perpetrated by the US and its allies.
It is for these reasons that the ILPS calls on all peace and freedom-loving people to stand in solidarity with the Filipino people in their struggle to save the life of Angelo de la Cruz.
The ILPS calls on all anti-war forces and all democratic and anti imperialist forces worldwide to intensify and unite their efforts to force the governments collaborating with US imperialism to withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
We must also continue to heighten our solidarity with the Iraqi people who are courageously fighting for national liberation and democracy self-determination against its imperialist aggressors. It is only through revolutionary armed resistance of the Iraqi people that the U.S. will withdraw from Iraq.
Save the life of Angelo de la Cruz!
Filipino troops out of Iraq now!
Strengthen the people´s resistance to imperialist war and plunder!
Long live international solidarity!
ILPS General Secretariat Statement
13 July 2004
