Bayan slams US after strike on Iran

Local

A CAUSE-ORIENTED group in the Philippines has condemned what it called “imperialist warmongering” by the United States following its airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, warning that the aggression could trigger a global crisis and directly harm Filipino interests.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) - Central Visayas on Monday, June 23, denounced the United States government under President Donald Trump for launching airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities, calling it an “act of military aggression that endangers international peace and Filipino welfare.”

In a strongly worded statement, BAYAN-Central Visayas said the bombings in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, carried out allegedly over concerns about Iran’s development of weapons of mass destruction, were based on “an overused lie” used to justify U.S. aggression across the Middle East.

“This historical and ongoing violence of the Imperialist US and its allied countries remains the greatest enemy of the people towards peace and genuine freedom,” the group said.

The U.S. strikes followed provocations by Israel, also under the same justification, according to Bayan.

It said the attacks are part of a broader imperialist strategy “to control West Asia, suppress national liberation movements, and secure hegemony over vast mineral resources and geopolitical trade routes.”

The group likened the Iranian people’s fight for sovereignty to that of Filipinos under the current Marcos Jr. administration, which it accused of deepening U.S. influence in the country through increased military presence.

“As of late, the Marcos Jr. government has allowed for the entry of more Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites in northern Philippines, on top of existing sites such as the Benito Ebuen Airbase in Cebu,” the statement read.

It also cited the return of Balikatan joint military exercises as evidence of the Philippines being used as a staging ground for “an all-out war against China.”

Bayan-Central Visayas warned that the continued escalation of conflict in the Middle East would have direct consequences on ordinary Filipinos, particularly in the form of higher fuel prices and increased risk for millions of overseas Filipino workers in the region.

“The Filipino people are bound to be affected… Should such aggression continue, migrants will be put at risk,” the group said, as it called on the Marcos administration to ensure the safety of Filipinos in the region and to adopt a clear position against U.S. aggression.

Bayan also urged the Filipino public to unite in denouncing what it described as the real global threat: “U.S. imperialism.”

“While it brands other nations as security threats and labels people’s resistance as acts of terrorism, the U.S. continues to modernize its nuclear arsenal and wage wars of aggression across the globe,” it said.

The group called for public mobilization and urged the public to join a solidarity protest against U.S. imperialism on Tuesday, June 24, at 10 a.m.(TGP)