United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is a war criminal who should be held accountable for his role in terrorist attacks that killed civilians, violated international humanitarian laws, and devastated the global economy.
He is in Cebu to attend the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting, where he will be joined by representatives of Southeast Asian nations that have been reeling from rising oil and gas prices caused by US acts of aggression on Iran and West Asia.
Hegseth could not even name a single ASEAN member during his confirmation as defense secretary, yet he has the temerity to preach about regional security. His call to “expand burden-sharing across the region” is a US imposition on its allies to ramp up militarism by spending more on war infrastructure instead of prioritizing people’s livelihood and social welfare.
Hegseth represents the Trump cabal in the White House responsible for various crimes against humanity across the world. This terrorist gang is aided by corrupt and puppet leaders like Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who has rolled out a red carpet welcome for war criminals and plunderers while treasonously facilitating the expansion of US military operations and escalating conflict in this part of the world.
Hegseth’s presence during the ASEAN meeting will highlight the criminal culpability of Marcos in enabling and allowing the US to establish military bases and missile systems in various parts of the country. Hegseth’s presence in Cebu today and Trump’s scheduled visit next month undermine national security, endanger the local population, and will lead to intensified US military intervention in the country.
The US-China rivalry, which will dominate the ASEAN meeting, should not distract us from condemning the brazen war agenda of the US, which intends to establish its military footprint in the region to operationalize its First Island Chain strategy, even if this would turn our communities into a war playground and staging ground of the US for its military projection and war preparation.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan condemns Marcos Jr. and unabashed Amboy officials like Gibo Teodoro for equating the promotion of the US geopolitical agenda with our national interest. They will drag the country to war and heighten the vulnerability of our communities to external attacks in their blind subservience to US dictates in exchange for political support and corruption-tainted military deals.
Bayan salutes its chapter in Cebu and people’s organizations, which conducted a protest action to condemn the arrival and presence of Hegseth at the ASEAN meeting. Bayan is gearing up for massive nationwide protests in November to drumbeat the message that the mad terrorist and plunderer Trump is not welcome in the Philippines.
War criminal Hegseth not welcome!
US troops out now!
Trump out!
Marcos tuta ng kano!
Imperyalismo, ibagsak