Activists mark June 12 with rallies in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Activists on Thursday marked Independence Day by holding small rallies in Manila. Near the US embassy, some 100 members of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) and Anakbayan held a lightning on Thursday afternoon while another group about 500 members of the militant Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME) held a rally at the Plaza Miranda. No one was hurt or injured after Manila Police District (MPD) peacefully dispersed participants of the rallies. Superintendent Ferdinand Quirante, station commander of the MPD Station 9, said the rallyists arrived near the US Embassy at 2:45 p.m. but were met by members of a police augmentation force deployed in the area. “They wanted to proceed to the US Embassy. So, we had to block them," said Quirante, during an interview with the media after the rally. When about 50 anti-riot policemen blocked the rallyists about 25 meters away from the embassy, the rallyists changed direction and ran towards a large tarpaulin picture of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo set up in a corner of Rizal Park. The protesters then sprayed red paint on the lower right corner of the large tarpaulin. The rallyists then shouted calls for Arroyo to resign. They also called for an end to the government’s alleged continued subservience to US interests. In a written statement, Ken Ramos, chairperson of Anakbayan, said that the government marks the declaration of our independence on June 12. "But for the Filipino youth, this is nothing but a sham as economic and political policies of the country remain one-sided in favor of the interests of foreign countries and their local puppets,"he said. Ramos warned of more protests in the future should the government refuse to repeal foreign-oriented policies. He also said that economic crisis will heighten. For his part, LFS chairman Vencer Crisostomo said they held a rally to protest the “sham independence" of the Philippines and to call for an end to US intervention in the country. “Today, the country is celebrating 110 years of our declaration of independence. We students cannot join the government’s celebrations for we know that our country is yet to win genuine independence from foreign control," said Crisostomo. Crisostomo said the country has remained a colony of the US due to the continuing intervention in the country’s political, military and economic affairs. “We still remember Nicole and how our government stood by the side of the convicted rapist Daniel Smith by allowing him to be detained inside the US Embassy instead of Philippine jails," said Crisostomo. - GMANews.TV