Gabriela Solon Joins Junk VFA Movement Launching, Hits Malacañang’s Compromise Pact

“Malacañang’s pact with the US government reeks of renewed subservience, docility and sell-out to US interests by its so called ‘compromise pact’ on the custody of Daniel smith. As long as the US-RP VFA is in force, the compromise of our rights as a sovereign nation is wont to be duplicated over and over again”.

Thus said Assistant Minority leader and Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Liza Maza today  as she joined the Junk VFA Movement launching together with other progressive legislators and people's organizations who have raised their strongest opposition against the lopsided US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement.

“The Obama-GMA agreement on the continued enforcement of the US-RP VFA is an affirmation of the the US war on terror policy and the perpetuation of unequal agreements between the US and the Philippines,” Maza said.

According to the Gabriela solon, the Junk VFA Movement is geared for the following activities:

•     Rally on March21 to commemorate the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and to call on the US government to pull out troops in Iraq and the Philippines, and call for a real departure from the Bush policy .

•    Preparation for the activities on the  10th anniversary of the VFA ratification on May 27, 2009

•    Signature campaign for the Anti-VFA unity statement

•    Continued  vigilance and close monitor on the Court of Appeal's upcoming decision on Smith's appeal and Supreme Court decision should it decide to reverse itself on the custody issue or continue to uphold the one-sided VFA

Maza further encouraged the people to join the mounting protests calling for the immediate abrogation of the US-RP VFA and expressed her conviction that such an onerous treaty will have the same route as the abrogated US Bases in 1991.