From Ang Bayan: Protests Greet Marcos’ Attendance At The Trilateral Summit In The US - NDFP: Marcos Jr. Sells Out Philippine Sovereignty For US War Preparations vs China

 

 

Ang Bayan

April 13, 2024

A series of protests greeted Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s return visit to the US for the US-Japan-Philippine Trilateral Summit held on April 11-12. The rally goers denounced Marcos and the US for funding and giving military support to his regime. Filipino activists in the US and those supporting the Filipino struggle participated in the protests. It was led by Bayan USA, Malaya Movement USA, Tuloy ang Laban Coalition, and ICHRP-US.

“This trilateral summit will lead to an increase in tension between the U.S. and China, with the Philippines and other countries in the region caught up in the crossfires between the two superpowers,” they said.

On April 11, they marched in Washington D.C. where the meeting was held. “Marcos Jr. has shown he values his own self interest over that of the Philippines… by selling out the country for profit and militarization,” Bayan-USA said.

On April 12, they protested in front of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington D.C. where Marcos used to meet with the US-Phil society, a “think tank” that included state officials, compradores and businessmen. Bayan says Marcos’ meeting is a pursuit of foreign investment for his much touted charter change that will further sink the Philippines into foreign debt.

“Marcos Jr. is committed to selling the Philippines and Filipino people out – our economy and our say over military and political decisions,” Malaya USA states. “The regime keeps saying it’s for ‘development’ and ‘modernization,’ but we are not naive. These deals benefit foreign investors’ bottom lines in exchange for poverty wages for the Filipino. They favor military technologies at the expense of our mortal safety from war.”

 

NDFP: Marcos Jr. Sells Out Philippine Sovereignty For US War Preparations vs China

NDFP-International | National Democratic Front Of The Philippines

April 10, 2024

Marcos Jr.’s trip to the United States for a trilateral summit with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is an utter and complete sell-out of Philippine sovereignty to US war designs in Asia. The so-called “trilateral summit” is set to discuss “maritime security cooperation” between the three countries.

Marcos Jr. is willingly offering the Philippine archipelago to serve as a ‘theater of war’ by allowing the US to position its military arsenal on land, sea, and air. The Philippines is a crucial piece in the “US First Island Chain Strategy” to contain China. The Philippines’ strategic location allows the US to constrict regional waterways and position readily deployable military air power in close proximity to China. In order to achieve its objectives, the US is escalating war preparations in the region by encouraging Japan and other imperialist allies to join the geopolitical chess game.

In the said trilateral meeting, Marcos Jr. seeks to further increase US military footprint in Philippine soil while talks are underway with Japan for a reciprocal access agreement that will allow Japanese military presence in the country. In fact, preparations are already ongoing for the biggest Balikatan Exercises in history which is expected to draw at least 16,000 troops to participate. The Balikatan war games this year aims to test the so-called ‘Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CDAC)’ patterned after US imperialist war plans in the region. These actions form part of the US strategy to provoke China into “firing the first shot” demonstrating the US government’s bloodthirstiness.

On the other hand, Marcos Jr.’s actions prove his outright subservience to US imperialist war preparations and his readiness to drag the Filipino people in the middle of a brewing inter-imperialist conflict. Marcos Jr. must be held accountable for his reprehensible sell-out of Philippine sovereignty and his blatant disregard for the lives of the Filipino masses. More importantly, the Biden administration must be denounced for its continued exportation of wars of aggression from Ukraine to Palestine and now using the Philippines as a pawn in its attempt to stifle China’s growing influence.