{"id":12109,"date":"2012-01-28T02:01:29","date_gmt":"2012-01-28T02:01:29","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2012-01-28T02:01:29","modified_gmt":"2012-01-28T02:01:29","slug":"Protest-against-greater-US-role-in-Philippines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=12109","title":{"rendered":"Protest against greater US role in Philippines"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Philippine activists picketed the US embassy today and burned a cardboard American flag and mock stealth bomber, vowing to launch a campaign opposing a plan to allow more US troops in the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>About 50 members of the leftist New Nationalist Alliance (Bayan) also held a huge effigy of Uncle Sam with another of Philippine President Benigno Aquino labelled as his &#8220;dog&#8221;, as riot police prevented them approaching the mission.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If we allow more US troops to enter our country, the entire archipelago will be transformed into one military outpost for US hegemonic interests,&#8221; Bayan said in a statement distributed at the rally.<\/p>\n<p>Philippine officials have welcomed plans for a greater presence from the military of its former colonial ruler, <strong>seeing it as a counterbalance to recent Chinese aggressiveness in the South China Sea<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>China and the Philippines have territorial disputes over the South China Sea and Manila has accused Beijing of using intimidation to press its claims.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Philippines previously hosted huge US military bases until the Philippine Senate, stirred by nationalist opposition of groups like Bayan, voted to close them down in 1992<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>US and Philippine officials say they are not interested in new US bases but merely in more joint exercises and more US troops rotating through the country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>While Filipinos are largely pro-American, small but vocal groups in the media and influential Roman Catholic church are fervently opposed to a US presence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Source AFP<\/em><br \/>\n<!--break--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Philippine activists picketed the US embassy today and burned a cardboard American flag and mock stealth bomber, vowing to 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