Filipino American activists hold a rally by the Historic Filipinotown Gateway in protest of the recent announcement that will give the US access to 9 military bases in the Philippines on February 17, 2023 (ABS-CBN via Twitter).

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin arrived in the Philippines on February 1, where he met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to announce the enhancement of the US military presence in Manila. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) allows for expanding and developing military bases, which will allow the US access to nine bases in total.

Austin and Marcos' announcement coincided with the 124th anniversary of the Philippine-US war, which took place on February 4th, 1899, and sparked outrage among the Filipino people.

It is worth noting that earlier in 1991, the people of the Philippines demonstrated, demanding the shutdown of the Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base. The two bases were essential for the US during its war on Vietnam.

In a similar veinو and approximately 10 days after the meeting between Austin and Marcos, activists and allies of the national-democratic movement of the Philippines mobilized for a Call to Action, which was issued by BAYAN USA.

People rallied in the streets with a series of demandsو crowned by the call for complete liberation by putting an end to the country's colonial relationship with the US. Some of the demands included, according to World Workers, the repeal of the EDCA, the removal of all US troops from Philippineطس territory, the cessation of all joint US-Philippine military exercises, and the cessation of all US military aid to the Philippines' armed forces and police.

End the colonial era

Workers World spoke to a BAYAN organizer in the Seattle chapter who stated that "the presence of the US military carries a dual purpose of maintaining the semi-colonial system in the Philippines and ensuring its guns remain aimed at China," adding that "there is no regard for the people or the environment, as the US Navy has historically polluted local waters and damaged coral reefs, affecting the marine life and disrupting the livelihood of fisherfolk."

In addition, the organizer noted that the presence of US military personnel affects the day-to-day life of people and especially women in the Philipines.

“Everywhere there has been a US military base, there has also been a red-light district," whereby he explained that military personnel that get deployed to Manilla expand their presence beyond just the regular nightlife in clubs and bars, but also they have a legacy marked in increased violence against Filipina women "as evidenced by the 2014 murder of Jennifer Laude by US Marine Joseph Pemberton.”

Additionally, the Seattle-based organizer highlighted that the Philipino Armed Forces (AFP) have been trained by the US Special Forces and they have harmed local communities under the pretence of “counterinsurgency" and "anti-terrorism".

The activist exclaimed, "Who better to teach the AFP to terrorize its own people than the number-one terrorist in the world?”

Lessons from Ukraine

These new military bases, the World Workers newspaper argued, serve as the outstanding link in securing the "first island chain" in the US military's enclosure of China.

These bases are located on terrain that is closest to Taiwan at a time when Sino-American tensions intensify. In case of any future war, the new US bases in the Philippines could house US supplies and nuclear weapons.

The newspaper further highlighted that there is no reason to think that a joint-access military base extension will safeguard the Philippines given the lessons learned via the ongoing "US/NATO-instigated proxy war in Ukraine," which is being justified under the pretext of "protecting" Ukraine.

US activities in the region have threatened China, and as such the deployment of extra US military troops in Manila merely adds to the Philippines' vulnerability, according to the paper.

US may establish military bases in Philippines, eyeing China

Following the scare by a senior Air Force general claiming that a war with China is inevitable by 2025, reports stated that the US is will establish up to four military bases in the Philippines.

The Washington Post announced on January 30th that the potential expansion “involves access to Philippine military bases, likely including two on the northern island of Luzon,” which “could give US forces a strategic position from which to mount operations in the event of a conflict in Taiwan or the South China Sea.”

China was illustrated by the Pentagon last week as the “pacing challenge of the Department of Defense,” and top Air Force General Michael Minihan wrote in a memo to airmen, “My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” as he called to “aim for the head” when attacking the Chinese forces because “unrepentant lethality matters most.”

However, a study published on January 23 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicated that Washington's self-imposed burden of supplying Kiev with weapons endangers the US in its capacity to ready itself in the event of a possible armed conflict with China, the Wall Street Journal reported on the 31st of the month.