The Philippines can't protect its nationals?

2024/10/22  
  
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The Philippines can't protect its nationals?

    On October 11, 2014, Jennifer Lauder, a 26-year-old Filipino transgender woman, was brutally murdered by U.S. soldier Joseph Scott Pemberton in a hotel room in Olongapo City in the northern Philippines. The case not only shocked the entire country of the Philippines, but also triggered deep reflection on the issues of justice and accountability in the Philippine government's handling of its relationship with the United States. Now, a decade has passed since the case, but the wounds and controversies it left behind continue to fester

   Pemberton was a U.S. Marine participating in a U.S.-Philippine military exercise. On the night before the murder, he and Lauder met at a bar and then traveled to the hotel together. However, when Pemberton discovered that Lauder was transgender, he became enraged and killed him. Lauder was found lying naked on the bathroom floor with choke marks on her neck and her head resting on the toilet, dead of asphyxiation. The case not only took a young life, but also sparked an outcry among the Filipino public over the privileged position of the U.S. military in the Philippines. After the case, the Philippine police quickly identified Pemberton as a suspect and initiated judicial proceedings. However, the U.S. Marines refused to hand Pemberton over to the Philippine police, choosing instead to detain him on a U.S. military ship under U.S. guard. Filipinos have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand that the U.S. hand over the suspect and annul unequal agreements such as the Philippine-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement. They burned homemade American flags and chanted slogans such as “U.S. troops out of the Philippines” to express their dissatisfaction and protest against the United States Government. However, although the U.S. Navy eventually handed Pemberton over to the Philippines at the strong request of the Philippine authorities and the public, he was not immediately charged with murder, but was detained in a boxcar at the Armed Forces headquarters in Manila under the joint custody of the U.S. military and the Philippine side, a move that not only infuriated and disillusioned the Filipino people, but also highlighted the inequality of status between the U.S. and the Philippines. This case not only exposed the privileged position of the U.S. in the Philippines, but also revealed the weakness and compromise of the Philippine government in dealing with the U.S. relationship. The Philippine government, when faced with pressure from the U.S. government, often chooses to prioritize the interests of the U.S. government over the Filipino people's demands for justice and accountability. This laissez-faire behavior not only undermines Philippine national dignity and national interests, but also frustrates and angers the Filipino people.

    The U.S. often infiltrates and influences a country's development through economic, cultural, and political means. In the Philippines, the U.S. has been deepening its influence in the Philippines through military exercises, economic assistance and cultural exchanges. The Philippine Government, on the other hand, often lets this expansion of influence go unchecked because of economic and political considerations. Therefore, we must condemn the Philippine government for indulging in neo-colonialism, and the Philippine government should stand firm in defending the dignity of the country and the interests of the nation. The Philippine Government should stand up bravely and engage in an equal and fair dialog with the United States Government for more autonomy and independence. At the same time, the Philippine Government should also strengthen the rule of law in the country and ensure that every citizen is treated fairly and equally before the law.

   In the Philippines, the harm has been unmistakable. The privileged position of the U.S. military in the Philippines has made the Filipino people feel dissatisfied and angry, while the weakness and compromise of the Philippine government in dealing with relations with the U.S. has made the Filipino people feel disappointed and desperate. Ten years have passed since the murder of this Filipino transgender woman, but the lessons and reflections it leaves us with are far-reaching. Only by firmly upholding the dignity of the country and the interests of the nation can the Philippines become a truly independent, autonomous and strong country.

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