An activist braves a water canon, which was used by soldiers to disperse a protest rally of tribal people outside the Philippine military headquarters in Quezon City on Nov. 18. (Photo by Jimmy Domingo)
Philippine activists, including priests and seminarians, defied a government ban on protest rallies by staging marches across the capital on Nov. 18 to condemn the country's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
"The Filipino church is against this business meeting for it disrespects our country's sovereignty," said Father Edprim Gaza, chairman of the Task Force on Urban Conscientization of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines.
The 2015 APEC summit opened in Manila this week.
Leaders, ministers and senior officials from APEC's 21 member countries, the world's largest regional economic group, are expected to come up with new measures to boost trade and growth in the Pacific Rim.
Catholic priests and seminarians hold a protest rally about a kilometer away from the venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila on Nov. 18. (Photo by Jimmy Domingo)
Filipino activists, however, say APEC is a "tool for imperialism and oppression" against poor nations and people.
"APEC's push for further liberalization of trade and investments, deregulation of prices and privatization of social services has kept wages low, prices high and people in poverty," said Vencer Crisostomo, chairman of the youth group Anakbayan.
Some 30 Catholic priests and seminarians, including Father Gaza, gathered about a kilometer from the summit venue to voice their opposition.
"The proposed privatization of public institutions pressed by APEC is enough evidence of this injustice we are forced to face," Father Gaza said.
APEC's persistence in pushing for the opening of several mining sites "only favors the capitalists, and not Filipinos," he added.
Punitive action against activists
In Quezon City, military police used water cannons to disperse protesting indigenous people, who condemned the deployment of troops in their tribal communities.
Nobody was hurt in the incident but a group of lawyers warned the government against violations of the right to freedom of expression.
In a statement, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers said protesters are entitled to "freedom of conscience and thought."
"The peaceful exercise of these rights poses no real and specific threat to national security or public safety, public order, public health or morals," the group said.
The indigenous people had earlier held a ritual by killing a black pig to symbolize their unity against the "imperialist plunder of the environment and their ancestral land" brought about by economic policies promoted by APEC.
According to the organization, APEC's priority areas of focus include enhancing regional economic integration, fostering micro, small and medium business participation in regional and global markets, investing in human capital development, and building sustainable communities.
Member countries are home to about 3 billion people and account for about half of global trade, 60 percent of total GDP and much of the world's growth.