On the 127th year of the sham Philippine independence, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) marks the day with a protest near the United States embassy in Manila. KMP said under Marcos Jr., the Philippines has become a forward base for U.S. military aggression—a literal “unsinkable warship” in Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy against China, betraying any claim to genuine sovereignty.

“Instead of genuine independence, the Filipino people are witnessing the deepening subservience of the Marcos Jr. regime to U.S. military interests. Since 2022, the Marcos Jr. administration has allowed an alarming surge in large-scale joint military exercises with the United States and its allies.”

These include the annual Balikatan, Kamandag, Salaknib, Sama Sama, Cope Thunder, and now Kasangga. Alongside these war drills, the expansion of Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in Cagayan, Isabela, Palawan, and other provinces has normalized the permanent presence of foreign troops and war materiel in the country, blatantly violating our national sovereignty and endangering the civilian population.

This year’s Balikatan, held from April 22 to May 10, was the largest and most provocative yet. It mobilized over 17,000 troops from the U.S., the Philippines, and allies including Australia and Japan. War games stretched from northern Luzon, Zambales, and Panay to Palawan and, for the first time, Tawi-Tawi—forming a geographic belt of military escalation near the Taiwan Strait and the West Philippine Sea.

Simulated “full-scale battles” included live-fire artillery drills, amphibious assaults, cyber warfare exercises, and missile launches. Among the advanced U.S. weaponry used were the Typhon missile launcher, capable of firing Tomahawk cruise missiles; the NMESIS anti-ship system, tested in Batanes; and the MADIS air defense system. These technologies, deployed openly on Philippine soil, are not for the defense of the Filipino people—they are weapons of deterrence and provocation in a looming U.S.-China conflict.

Worse, the war games have not stopped. Since May, the U.S. military has launched at least three simultaneous joint exercises on Philippine territory:

Kamandag (May 26 to June 6)

Held in Batanes, Capas (Tarlac), Burgos (Ilocos Norte), Palawan, and Tawi-Tawi. Featured the use of HIMARS and NMESIS, including the ROGUE Fires Carrier, an unmanned vehicle armed with Naval Strike Missiles. Involved 2,031 U.S. Marines and 2,028 Philippine troops. Military forces from Japan, South Korea, and the UK participated, while France, Canada, Bahrain, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand,and the Netherlands served as observers.

Kasangga (May 19 to June 24)

Launched at the 4th Infantry Division camp in Cagayan de Oro, now ongoing in Camp Kibaritan, Kalilangan, Bukidnon. Involves 90 Australian and 140 Philippine soldiers.

Salaknib Phase 2 (May 19 to July 20)

Ongoing in Northern Luzon, aimed at strengthening operational integration between the U.S. and Philippine Army units.

KMP lambasted these war exercises that are aimed at preparing Philippine territory and the people for combat roles in a U.S.-China proxy war.

“Farmers outrightly reject the lie that these war games are for the protection of our national security. These war exercises violate our national sovereignty and turn our lands and waters into battlegrounds. Farmers and fisherfolk are displaced by field exercises and artillery fire; rural communities live in fear of surveillance, encampment, and forced evacuation.These military operations disrupt livelihood and heighten tensions that could trigger real conflict,” according to Ronnie Manalo, Secretary General of KMP.

Ngayong “Araw ng Huwad na Kalayaan,” malinaw ang panawagan ng mamamayang Pilipino: hindi namin kailangan ng mga fighter jet o missiles. Ang kailangan namin ay trabaho, murang pagkain, lupa, at kapayapaan. Panahon na upang wakasan ang presensya ng mga dayuhang sundalo sa ating bansa. Ipanawagan natin ang pagtigil ng lahat ng mga war games, pagtanggal ng mga EDCA site, at agarang pag-alis ng mga tropa at armas ng Estados Unidos mula sa ating teritoryo,” Manalo concluded. ###