American Genocide in the Philippines, the Western Press and Filipino Values

Washington and the American press had it coming. Their unproven claims of extra judicial killings by the Duterte Administration pushed the Philippines President against the wall. No amount of clarification from the Philippines side could match the clout of the western press in presenting the true events in the Philippines, and Duterte could only afford to strike back. At the end of the Asean Summits, instead of sticking on to a prepared speech, he presented to the world a picture representing a sample of American atrocities committed in the Philippines.

The Bu Dajo masaccre was committed by American soldiers during the pacification campaign in Mindanao in the 1900s. Thousands of Moros in the Philippines, including women and children, were killed by American occupation forces for rejecting American rule. The Philippines was kept muted about this event (and many more like the Balangiga massacre in Samar) to foster an enduring relationship with the US. But power seems to make people feel so unblemished and forthright even to the point of unfairly destroying other peoples' values.

The western press is so used to impose their preconceived sentiments in their reporting. So much so that Duterte's pronouncements were immediately given print space and broadcast time in a very negative way since he became President. Yet when he presented the appalling picture at the Asean summit, everyone in the west  kept silent and mum to this day. Ashamed of the dirt on their faces brought about by the disclosure of just an incident that the Philippines kept unpublished to the world, for the sake of US-Philippines diplomacy and friendship?

Most Filipinos still value friendship with the US. All that they want this time is for everyone to give their President a chance to lead their country in accordance with their sovereign will, because the people truly foresee a stronger and a more prosperous country under their new President. The Philippines now simply needs more support than meddling in charting its destiny. When given, such will go  a long way in truly preserving a rock solid US-Philippines alliance.