US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III left for the Philippines and South Korea on Jan. 29, to “advance regional stability and further strengthen” its partnership with the two countries.
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Soon after the Supreme Court began en-banc deliberations on two petitions urging it to declare as unconstitutional the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (signed between the Philippine and United States governments last year), two interesting actions – both supporting the petitions – came up. First,…
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star It wasn’t just a foolhardy turn (as I wrote here last week) that the Department of Foreign Affairs welcomed with alacrity the Pentagon’s announced intention to deploy in the Philippines “various advanced air force, naval and maritime-domain equipment” — to be manned by US…
“Let there be no doubt about it: We are serious in wanting the EDCA to be junked. We do not want any of its provisions implemented. The Supreme Court should side with the Filipino workers and people on this most important issue.” – KMU
“The massive unemployment among the youth is testament to the Aquino regime’s failure to bring change to the lives of Filipinos. Millions of our countrymen are hungrier than ever, with most people remaining jobless, and those with jobs are living with barely sufficient wages.” –Kabataan Party Rep. Terry Ridon
How can you call someone a friend or an ally when they have stubbornly refused to pay their debts, clean up the mess they made in your own home, and suffer from selective amnesia when it comes to owning up to their transgressions?
Filipino workers staged protest actions in different parts of the country condemning the signing of the United States-Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the US-dictated neoliberal policies on the economy. Photos by Ronalyn V. Olea in Manila, Southern Tagalog Exposure in Calamba, Noel Godinez / Northern Dispatch in Baguio, Owen Segovia Bayog in Bacolod, Carl…
By BENJIE OLIVEROS Bulatlat perspective Malacañang finally released a copy of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement it signed with the US government. It is a 10-page agreement that gives the US Armed Forces free, blanket access to all “Agreed locations” to undertake: “training, transit, support and related activities; refueling of aircraft; bunkering of vessels; temporary…
United States President Barack Obama’s two-day state visit to the Philippines was met with protest actions by progressive groups. On April 29, protesters expressed outrage at the signing of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) and marched toward the US Embassy in Manila. Police dispersed the protesters using truncheons and water cannon.
The US decided to pivot or to deploy around 60 percent of its troops, warships and submarines, and jet fighters to the Asia-Pacific region not out of a whim and certainly not merely because of the conflicting territorial claims at the West Philippine Sea. There are deeper reasons to it. The same is true with the Asian tour of US Pres. Barack Obama. The main reason for the Asian visits of US President Obama is not merely to assure its “allies” that the US is there to side with them as the Aquino government would want the people to believe. It is about US interests first and foremost.
Bulatlat.com is uploading three substantial articles from Ibon Foundation to provide the geopolitical and economic context to the US pivot and the Obama visit.
While much of the discussion about renewed PH-US relations centers on the military aspect, there is also the equally crucial, if not even more far-reaching, economic dimension of the US pivot to the region By ARNOLD PADILLA IBON FEATURES Bulatlat.com MANILA — US President Barack Obama’s visit underlines the increased bilateral engagement between the Philippines…