News Release
May 8, 2018
Groups from Manila and Central Luzon jointly staged a protest today against the ongoing Balikatan PH-US military exercises. The groups converged at the former Clark Air Base before going to Basa Airbase, the site of construction work for a new US military facility.
This year’s war games with the US comes amid reports of China’s military build-up in the West Philippine Sea.
“The latest installment of the Balikatan war-games will not lead to the development of the Philippines’ capability to defend our EEZ and islands against China’s military build-up. We have been holding bilateral and multilateral exercises with the US for decades yet the country’s defense capabilities have not been upgraded,” Bayan said.
“What happens is that the US merely takes advantage of Philippine disputes with China to sell us the illusion that US military presence is good for the Philippines. The US has made the Philippines as a staging ground for power-projection in the region. Whatever happened to Duterte’s declaration that the 2016 Balikatan would be the last? He continues with his policy of serving two imperialist masters,” the group said.
Bayan believes that the Philippines cannot rely on another imperialist power to defend its national interests. Bayan has protested China’s reclamation activities and military build-up in the West Philippine Sea.
“We do not think that China will deal with us in good faith. Now more than ever, a truly independent foreign policy; one that’s not caught in the claws of the Dragon or Eagle; is needed. We need to start looking at our national interest and develop the internal requirements for defending our sovereign rights. Subservience to one foreign interest over another is never a solution,” the group said. ###
