PRESS RELEASE
April 29, 2010

“Since US Ambassador Harry Thomas has been making the diplomatic rounds, he might as well meet us.” This was the statement of Terry Ridon, national Chairperson of the League of Filipino Students, as he challenged Thomas to meet his group to discuss the need for the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Ridon said that his group will tell Thomas that the VFA had effectively infringed upon Philippine sovereignty through the permanent stationing of US troops in Mindanao island and other areas.

“Thomas should know that the VFA had brought mere token development aid in exchange for a surrender of our national dignity.”

Ridon added that he will give Thomas a history lesson why our country remained poor and underdeveloped.

“He needs to know that the US government’s intervention on the country’s political, economic, and military affairs is the main reason for our national misery.”

Ridon noted that it was the US government which instigated the liberalization of the Philippine economy and had caused the dissolution of local industry upstarts.

“It had also lobbied for the privatization of basic industries like water and power, the prices of which had now skyrocketed uncontrollably.”

Ridon said that Thomas needs to know all these, so that he would not be surprised why Filipinos protest US intervention and presence in the country’s internal affairs.###