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For the second straight day, thousands of members of progressive groups took to the streets to protest the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and US Pres. Barack Obamas state visit to the country.

They attempted to protest in front of the US embassy in Roxas Boulevard, Manila but were blocked by hundreds of policemen who used shields and sticks and water cannons to push back the protesters.

Aquino has tried to make it appear that the US is bringing back its military bases into the Philipines in order to help the country defend our territory from Chinas incursions, but Obama did not make any statement to that effect, said labor leader Elmer Labog, chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU, May First Movement). Labog noted that Obamas statements on the Philippine territorial dispute with China belie Aquinos propaganda for EDCA.

On Monday, April 28, Obama was noncommittal when reporters asked him if the US armed forceswhose presence in the Philippines will increase after EDCAs signingwill defend the Philippines if attacked by China.

So what did we get from the Obama visit? Not much it seems. As expected, no commitment, no assurance. Meanwhile, Obama goes home with a new military agreement that would allow more US forces to rotate in the Philippines. Such is the tragedy of neo-colonial relations, said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan, New Patriotic Alliance).

Bayan, KMU and other sectoral and progressive organizations have been protesting against negotiations between US and the Philippines for a new military pact that will significantly increase US military presence in the country. The groups maintained that such an increase in US military presence will only exacerbate the tensions between the Philippines and China, who are engaged in a much-publicized territorial dispute in West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

In the more than 60 years since the signing of the PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty, the US armed forces have only made Philippine military more dependent on military aid, according to Reyes.

The groups also said that EDCA will only worsen the Philippines neocolonial mendicancy to the US.

(See also: The previous days text and photos of the protest action against the Obama visit.)

Some photos of the protest action near the US embassy in Manila:

See the rest here:
Progressives assert right to protest near US embassy to condemn EDCA, Obama visit

President Goodluck Jonathan

THE All Progressives Congress has denied an allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State that its members were involved in the destruction of the PDP and the Nigerian flags.

The state PDPs allegation is coming ahead of President Goodluck Jonathans visit to Rivers State for the South-South PDP rally on Saturday.

But the State Chairman of APC, Dr. Davies Ikanya, described the partys claim as spurious, maintaining that no APC member was involved in the defacing of flags belonging to another political party or the Nigerian flag.

Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Ikanya said the allegation was another ploy by the state PDP to begin to destroy the APC billboards and cause confusion in the state.

He said, We wish to state categorically clear that no member of the APC was involved in the destruction of the Nigerian flags or the PDP flags anywhere in the state, including the PDP office in Obio/Akpor.

If you look at our state secretariat and our offices in the local government areas, you will see that Nigerian flags are conspicuously mounted there. So, the allegation by the PDP that they saw some people in the night removing Nigerian and PDP flags is spurious and frivolous.

Ikanya recalled how the state PDP accused the APC and the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, of kidnapping three of their (PDP) members, adding that the police had since arrested the culprits, and they were not members of the APC.

Explaining that Amaechi and the APC did not believe in violence, the state APC chairman said, They (PDP) only want to embarrass our party. Instead of the PDP to talk about why the state (Rivers) has no federal presence, they have been raising frivolous allegations against the governor and the APC.

He, however, warned politicians to desist from planning to unleash violence during the 2015 elections and maintained that the APC would not allow any political party to rig the polls.

See more here:
Jonathans visit: APC denies destroying PDP flags

Is That Your Kid? : 09 Audio Stuff For Liberals
We introduce two new Behind the Scenes Counterparts to the show. One is a Time Traveling Reporter from the West Coast and the other doesn #39;t like it when his ...

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Is That Your Kid? : 09 Audio Stuff For Liberals - Video

Liberals

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The government backbench is voicing concern about policy in the lead up to the budget. Analysis with Chris Hammer and Mark Kenny.

Senior Liberals have described plans for a possible deficit tax in the budget as "electoral suicide".Some talked of a party-room revolt and one warned the Prime Minister Tony Abbott would wear the broken promise as "a crown of thorns" if the government decided to go through with it.

The figure, part ofMr Abbott's ministerial team, spoke on condition of anonymity, arguing the suggestion of a tax was one that could come to "haunt"Mr Abbott's entire prime ministership.

Tough sell: Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaking to Neil Mitchell on Fairfax radio in Melbourne. Photo: Penny Stephens

"I worry that this is Tony's Gillard moment, when she announced the carbon tax," said the senior Liberal.

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Several other Liberals also expressed dismay at the prospect of a government, elected to restore trust to politics, overturning a "crystal-clear" policy commitment of no new taxes, in its first budget.

Incredulous Liberals contacted by Fairfax Media said they had been given nothing to tell voters who were beginning to call electorate offices to complain.

A Gillard moment: Senior Liberals are worried that Tony Abbott's deficit tax could spell disaster for the government. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

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Tax is 'electoral suicide': Liberals