Duterte Wants U.S. Troops Out: Can the Philippines Assert Its Independence?

Published: Sept. 14, 2016, 4 a.m.

On today's episode of Loud & Clear, Brian Becker is joined by Adrian Bonifacio, the National Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA, and Nap Pempeña, Vice-Chairperson of Anakbayan-USA to discuss if the U.S. military is on the verge of being kicked out of the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte has said that U.S. special forces troops have to go from the southern island of Mindanao and blamed resentment from the local Muslim population on their presence. As the Philippines begins to assert an independent foreign policy, the U.S. government is sure to attempt to keep its grip on the country.

Muslims held Eid al-adha celebrations earlier this week in France in a climate of growing Islamophobia. With the burkini ban a topic of intense debate and mainstream politicians pandering to fears over the state of secularism, will anti-Muslim bigotry be the dominant issue of the 2017 election? Becker is joined by Hafsa Kara Mustapha.

Whistleblower Chelsea Manning has started a hunger strike, protesting what she calls bullying on the part of the U.S. government and prison system and demanding “dignity, respect and humanity.” Will the government grant her demands? Michael Prysner, an anti-war activist and former U.S. Marine who took part in the occupation of Iraq, discusses the important of Chelsea Manning and her action.