MANILA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- An alliance of women in the Philippines, GABRIELA, on Wednesday condemned what it described as covert operations of the United States military in the Southeast Asian country.
"GABRIELA strongly condemns the exposed U.S. military intervention in Mindanao (in the southern Philippines) following reports of a crashed U.S. surveillance aircraft in Maguindanao del Sur province that was conducting intelligence operations with Philippine state security forces," GABRIELA Secretary General Clarice Palce said.
GABRIELA referred to a fatal U.S.-contracted surveillance plane crash on Feb. 6. this year. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command later confirmed the aircraft "was providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support at the request of the Philippines."
"This incident exposes the truth behind the U.S. military presence in Mindanao -- they are not here for 'humanitarian assistance' or 'joint exercises' but for actual combat and surveillance operations that violate our national sovereignty," Palce said.
Palce added that the incident reveals the broader implications of military agreements between Manila and Washington, "which have effectively turned the Philippines into a large U.S. military base."
"The Filipino people, especially the women and children of Mindanao who have long suffered from militarization, deserve to know the full extent of U.S. military operations in our country. We demand an end to all forms of U.S. military intervention and the assertion of our national sovereignty," Palce said. ■
