Fisherfolk slams upcoming Balikatan drill

Fisherfolk slams upcoming Balikatan drill

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Ph-US military exercise | Photo by Business Insider

Manila, Philippines – The militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas) on Monday expressed opposition on the upcoming Philippines-United States Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise which will be held on May this year.

Balikatan is an annual military exercise in the country involving Filipino and American troops as agreed on PH-U.S. military deals like the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

In a statement, PAMALAKAYA said they are dismayed by President Rodrigo Duterte for letting the military drill to proceed even if he expressed strong criticisms and statements before against U.S. military presence and intervention in our country.

President Duterte lacks sincerity on his earlier pronouncements to stop all U.S.-Ph military exercise in the country and that he will make all American troops kicked out from our land,”

“We have been opposing these military drills ever since because this is undeniable state intervention and aggression by U.S. military troops under the guise of “combating terrorism’ and ‘humanitarian and civil assistance’. Today’s Balikatan is a plain and simple case of same wine in a different bottle. This Trump-directed military intervention is no different from previous military drills; one-sided and anti-Filipino defense pact between the Philippines in the United States,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA Chairperson said in a statement.

The fisherfolk group said the continuing U.S. military presence embedded with war of aggression will mount various protest actions from the Filipino people and its patriotic organizations.

We urge President Duterte to become a man of his word; kick out American troops in the country and junk all the unequal military deals with the U.S. including VFA, MDT and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and pursue independent foreign policy,” Hicap ended. ###

 

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