Filipino Activists Burned U.s. Flags

Filipino activists rallied at the U.S. Embassy in Manila on Saturday (1/28/2012), to protestplans the addition of U.S. troops in the country. They burned U.S. flags and cardboardpicture of U.S. stealth aircraft.

About 50 members of the group left the New Nationalist Alliance (Bayan) also carries a large doll Uncle Sam and the President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino which they refer to as ”dogs”. The police tried to prevent them from approaching the embassy building.

“If we allow more American troops into this country, throughout the archipelago will be turned into a military base in the interest of U.S. hegemony,” the Bayan written statementdistributed to the audience.

Philippine officials welcomed the plan to increase U.S. forces in the country and see it as a counterweight to China’s aggressiveness in the South China Sea. As is known the two countries involved in territorial disputes the South China Sea. Manila accused Beijing ofusing intimidation to emphasize his claim.

Previously, the Philippines played host to U.S. military bases to the Philippine Senatedecided to shut it down at the insistence of the nasionalist, including Bayan.

Philippine and U.S. officials have expressed no intention of making a new military base,but it will only conduct joint military exercises and the increased U.S. military presence inthe country.

Although most pro-American Filipino people, but some small groups but quite vocal mediaand the Catholic Church strongly opposed the U.S. presence.

International relations expert Rene de Castro said the Philippine government should be careful to explain his decision to tackle anti-American attitudes