Students, Youths Call For US Troop Pull Out In Mindanao

Student leaders and out-of-school youths hold a forum in Cotabato City Saturday, February 23, 2008 calling for pull out of all US troops in southern RP.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 25, 2008) – Militant students and out-of-school youths gathered in Cotabato City in southern Philippines to call for the pull out of all US troops involved in anti-terror warfare training.

They also held a forum spearheaded by the group called Alyansa ng mga Kabataan Laban sa Panghihimasok ng mga Amerikanong Sundalo or AKLAS which is oppose to the presence of American forces in Mindanao.

The group said US military forces are not only involved in joint training with local soldiers, but are secretly participating in combat operation in the guise of the Balikatan, a codename for the annual joint military training between the United States and the Philippines.

The weekend forum was also attended by campus journalists, student leaders and youth mass organizations in central Mindanao.

Jeppie Ramada, Bayan Muna vice president for Mindanao, was the forum’s resource speaker while the panels included Liga ng Kabataang Moro spokesperson Michael Dumamba and AKLAS’ Yousri Usop. (Mindanao Examiner)