US Representative Susan Wild on Wednesday urged the passage of a bill seeking to end America’s assistance to Philippines’ security forces as she condemned the “brutal administration” of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Wild, the Democratic representative from Pennsylvania’s 7th District, is the sponsor of the Philippine Human Rights Act, which seeks to “[suspend] security assistance to the Philippines until violence against dissidents ceases and accountability against the perpetrators commences.”
Wild said American taxpayers must not support the US supply of weapons to Duterte’s regime.
“[There is a need for a] fundamentally different relationship between the United States and the Philippines, founded on a simple proposition: US taxpayer funds should not be used to supply weapons to a regime that violently targets its political opponents,” said Wild, a Duterte critic, in a statement issued by Philippine Human Rights Act Campaign Coalition.
She also called out the recent $2 billion in weapons sold to the country by the United States, condemning the defense contracts because these will never “match the value of a human life.”
Joining Wild in the call for the bill’s passage is Jim Winkler, a president of the National Council of Churches.
“The success and durability of our own democracy depends not only on facing down the mob and the forces that attempt to destroy our government here, but on stopping those same forces everywhere. That is why we want to see the passage of the Philippine Human Rights Act,” he said in the same statement.
Elena Lopez, a legislative associate from the Communications Workers of America, said the bill is needed due to Duterte’s alleged killing of activists.
“We, as part of the global labor movement, cannot stand idly by while Duterte kills activists one by one. We must condemn it, and do every single thing within our power to stop it… All of us, especially those of us in the labor movement, cannot fight for our own dignity and rights here without standing with our brothers and sisters abroad. An injury to one, is an injury to all,” said Lopez.
Yves Nibungco, national chairperson of Malaya Movement USA, cited that more than 200 groups endorsed the PHRA among Filipino communities all over the United States.
The PHRA is seeking to suspend the provision of security assistance to the Philippines unless the Philippine government makes reforms to its military and police forces.
To date, the bill has been introduced to 117th US Congress with 22 co-sponsors.
In June, Wild reintroduced the bill, which she said was a response to stop the rampant human rights abuses under the Duterte administration.
The Palace had said the proposed law on suspending American aid to Philippine military and police was a “very wild suggestion.” It is also confident that the American government recognizes the importance of its security alliance with Philippines. — BM, GMA News
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