In a bold move, the progressive women's group GABRIELA has voiced strong opposition to the annual joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States set to begin next month. 📢🇵🇭🇺🇸
On Sunday, GABRIELA Secretary-General Clarice Palce demanded the expulsion of all U.S. troops from the Philippines and called for the immediate termination of military agreements like the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the U.S.
\"History has shown that U.S. bases and EDCA sites pose a grave threat to the safety, welfare, and rights of Filipinos, particularly women and children,\" Palce warned.
She highlighted concerns that increased military activities and the presence of foreign troops have led to \"the proliferation of militarized prostitution\" in the country.
With at least 11,000 American and 5,000 Philippine troops expected to participate in this year's Balikatan exercises—from April 22 to May 8—the stakes are higher than ever.
\"The Balikatan exercises blatantly disregard the Philippines' national sovereignty by effectively transforming the country into a huge U.S. base with unrestricted movement of American troops,\" Palce added.
The sentiment reflects a growing unease among many Filipinos about foreign military presence on their soil. Will this be a turning point for U.S.-Philippine relations? Only time will tell. ⏳
Reference(s):
Philippine women group condemns joint Philippine, U.S. military drills
cgtn.com
