Duterte urged to stop US-PH military exercises

From the often pro-Communist Party of the Philippines online publication the Davao Today (Sep 28):
Duterte urged to stop US-PH military exercises

The Communist Party of the Philippines urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the conduct of military exercises between the government and the US. (Paulo C. Rizal/davaotoday.com)

 

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the conduct of US-PH joint military exercises, describing it as “provocative”.

 

“These US military exercises are most untimely as the Duterte regime is trying to  lay down its foundations for an independent foreign policy,” the CPP said in a statement Tuesday.

The CPP said the presence of thousands of US troops on Philippine soil does not help promote the country’s national independence, but instead will only depict the Philippines as a US military bulwark.

The military exercises will be held on October 4 to 12 in some parts of Luzon and Palawan.

“These US military exercises are most untimely as the Duterte regime is trying to promote lay down its foundations for an independent foreign policy,” the CPP said.

On the other hand, the group also reiterated its call to end the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) of 1951, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the Enhance Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca)
The MDT, according to the Communist movement, “is the mother of all unequal military agreements which justifies the presence of aggressive and interventionist US troops.”

“Not only does it not assure that the US will aid the Philippines, it is also a guarantee that the Philippines will get dragged into US wars such as how the country served as launching pad for US interventionist wars in Korea, Vietnam as well as Iran,” the CPP said.

http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/duterte-urged-to-stop-us-ph-military-exercises/