03/04/2024
Press Statement
April 2, 2024
GREATER US MILITARY PRESENCE AND INVOLVEMENT WILL ESCALATE WPS CONFLICT, BRINGING PH CLOSER TO WAR
President Ferdinand Marcos’ greater dependence on the US armed forces for the country’s external defense is further escalating the conflict in the West Philippine Sea and even the Taiwan Strait, bringing the country closer to a war with China, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) today said.
The last few weeks have seen a dramatic increase in the presence of US troops, military vessels and equipment in the country. On March 24, the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Battle Group arrived in Manila, consisting of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and two Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, the USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and USS Antietam (CG 54).
The next day, another aircraft carrier, the USS Tripoli (LHA 7), with its fleet of advanced F-35B Lightning II aircraft, arrived in Subic Bay reportedly in preparation for Special Operations in the South China Sea.
Later this month, some 11,000 US troops, military personnel and contractors are joining the biggest Balikatan exercises to date, the highlight of which will be a maritime sinking exercise off the coast of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, which is near Taiwan. Also, for the first time in the history of the joint exercises, maritime activities will be conducted outside the country’s territorial waters.
These actions by the US military, in cooperation with the Marcos government, escalate the already high tensions in the WPS and Taiwan Strait. At the very least, this gives China an additional justification for more military activities in the said areas.
BAYAN believes that there are effective ways of defending and asserting our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) without having to increase US troops or establish additional US bases in the country. The aim should be to de-escalate and demilitarize the conflict, not the other way around.
For example, the Philippines can be more aggressive and creative in its use of diplomacy even as it maintains its coast guard and military patrols in the area. We can and should avail of available international legal remedies to hold China accountable for its environmentally destructive island-building activities in our EEZ and challenge its outrightly illegal claims over the South China Sea. All this can be done without the military involvement and interference of the US and its allies.
In his effort to challenge China, Marcos is transforming the entire country into a US military base, training ground and theater of war. His regime’s kowtowing to US geopolitical interests, much like Duterte’s pivot to China, undermines Philippine sovereignty and endangers the security and welfare of the Filipino people. #
