BULACAN – The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) strongly condemned Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for what they described as a “total surrender of national sovereignty” amid the conduct of the 40th iteration of the Balikatan military exercises. The group criticized the intensified United States military presence in the country, branding the Philippines as a mere outpost for foreign war games disguised as security cooperation.

“Marcos Jr. is once again betraying the nation’s sovereignty in exchange for missiles, weapons, and the wars of imperialism,” the group declared.

According to KMP, the administration’s full support for Balikatan 2025 and the continued expansion of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) bases constitute a deep betrayal of the Filipino people. The war games, which will run until May 9, involve over 14,000 Filipino and American soldiers and include active participation from the Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF) and the Australian Defense Force. Nineteen other countries, including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Colombia, have also sent observers.

Balikatan is an annual joint military exercise between the Philippines and the United States, held since 2001 under the pretext of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. The 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) allows U.S. forces rotational access to selected Philippine bases.

Prior to the Marcos Jr. administration, there were only five active EDCA sites. During his term, this number rose to nine by 2024, with the newly added bases strategically located near Taiwan and the West Philippine Sea.

Danilo Ramos, KMP chairperson and Makabayan senatorial candidate, said the Philippines is being transformed into a massive United States military outpost, “with national territory effectively leased, sold, and surrendered under the pretense of security cooperation.”

“Marcos Jr. has totally sold out the country to the Trump administration,” Ramos said, citing the recent reinstatement of $670 million in United States military aid as a show of so-called “iron-clad” support.

“The entire Philippines is being turned into a playground for war games and a rest-and-recreation site for foreign troops. United States military bases are being allowed under EDCA, while we Filipinos are being treated as mere pawns in the United States’ provocation of war in the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.

KMP raised alarms over the nature of this year’s Balikatan drills, which include full battle simulations with foreign troops, live-fire exercises in civilian areas, and the continued deployment of the United States Navy-Marine Typhon Missile System. All of these, the group noted, are being implemented without consultation with local communities. They warned that such military buildup increases the risk of the Philippines being drawn into a United States-led war in the Asia-Pacific.

“Marcos Jr. is using the maritime dispute as a convenient excuse to justify US intervention. But in reality, he is pushing the Philippines into becoming collateral damage in a conflict between superpowers,” the group said.

Ramos asserted that these developments are not aligned with national defense or progress. Instead, he described them as a systematic occupation enabled by EDCA, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), and other military agreements that he characterized as unjust.

According to KMP, these actions are part of a broader strategy by the United States to expand its regional influence through bilateral and multilateral pacts, including the Trilateral Summit with Japan and the Philippines and proposed VFAs with Canada and France.

Calling for unity among farmers, workers, and patriotic citizens, KMP vowed to intensify grassroots education and mobilization in rural areas to expose what it views as the dangers of the United States–Philippine military alliance. The group also called on the youth to take an active role in defending the nation’s sovereignty.

“Love for the country is not just about waving the flag. It means resisting oppression, fighting for national sovereignty, and rejecting foreign masters,” said Ramos. “The future lies in the hands of the Filipino youth, a future that upholds peace and justice.”

“Just like our ancestors did, we will defend the Motherland against this new form of colonialism and invasion. The Philippines is not for the United States, and it must never be turned into a staging ground for foreign wars,” he concluded.

Umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and other progressive groups also protested in front of the Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on April 20, Monday. The group reiterated its assertion that “Balikatan exercises are costly, disruptive to the local population, and a threat to national security, aside from undermining the country’s sovereignty.” 

Bayan also called for localized protests where the Balikatan exercises are being conducted. The group also challenged election candidates, especially those running in the Senate, to take a stand against foreign military intervention and to promote an independent foreign policy. (With reports from Anne Marxze Umil) RVO