TO: Friends and Supporters of the VDLC “Adopt An Organizer” Program in the Phillipines FROM: Bill Saunders, President, Vancouver & District Labour Council
Our friends in the KPD (Citizens for National Democracy) who we are supporting in the Philippines sent me this news coverage of a recent action conducted by KAISA-KA (the women’s organization in KPD) and YND (Youth for National Democracy).
The KPD is conducting an ongoing campaign against the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Arroyo government and the United States which allows US military a privileged position in the Philippines.
The women’s organization is leading this campaign following several incidents in which US military personnel were convicted of raping Filipina women but were unable to be charged under Filipino law due to this VFA agreement.
This campaign against the VFA has been underway for several years but has recently gained strength with the influx of thousands of new US troops sent to the Philippines to assist the Philippine army in carrying out “counter-insurgency” military campaigns and “counter-terrorism” campaigns particularly in the Mindinao region of the country.
Here is the news report on a recent action by KAISA-Ka and YND in Manila. It’s in Tagalog but you can hear the reference to KPD.