“The US aims to firm up its military foothold in the country, which serves as a base for forward deployment of military forces in line with its hegemonic ‘Asia pivot’ to secure for itself the trade routes, sources of cheap labor and areas for investments in the Asia-Pacific countries.”
Tags: Balikatan 2016
Pursue diplomacy, restrain belligerence in sea dispute
Starting Monday the 15th annual US-Philippine joint (Balikatan) military exercises under the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement will roll out in various sites in the country. Nearly 10,000 American and Filipino soldiers will undergo 10 days of training in warfare. This is a massive exercise for the US, which will deploy 55 aircraft, including its much-touted…