“One step forward for women’s rights, but two steps backward for Philippine sovereignty.”

This was how the League of Filipino Students (LFS) described the decision of the Supreme Court to transfer the custody of convicted rapist Lance Corporal Daniel Smith from the US embassy to the Philippines while affirming the constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

“While the court’s order to transfer Smith is commendable, this is a mere Pyrrhic victory for the Filipino people, as the Supreme Court reiterated once again the validity of an unpatriotic and militarist treaty. It is clear as day that although we do not have foreign military bases in the nature of the former American bases in Central Luzon, American security forces have established permanent-albeit-collapsible facilities in the southern Philippines, Zamboanga in particular. This should have been enough to merit a reversal of a prior Supreme Court ruling almost a decade ago,” said Terry Ridon, spokesperson of the LFS.

Ridon warned that, “Until the VFA is repealed and the US soldiers go back to the US for good, the country can expect similar atrocities from US soldiers in the future.”

The youth leader described the VFA as proof of our country’s colonial relationship to the US.

“That the government allowed Smith to be detained under US custody shows our government’s continuing subservience to its colonial master,” said Ridon.

The US government threatened to call off large-scale exercises with Manila until Smith was transferred to the detention center within the compound of the US in Manila Bay.

The LFS, along with other militant groups held a protest action at the US Embassy in Manila today to call for the repeal of the VFA and all “unequal treaties and agreements” with the US and other foreign powers.

“We shall continue to campaign for the expulsion of American security forces in the the Philippines in the next few months,” Ridon finally says. ###

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