ANG BALIKATAN AY PREPARASYON SA DIGMAAN: Stop Turning the Philippines into a Platform for War

 

Partido Manggagawa (PM) condemns the firing and strategic deployment of US Typhon missiles on Philippine soil under the Balikatan military exercises, warning that these war drills only heighten unnecessary tension in the region and further drag the Philippines into the dangerous rivalry of hegemonic global powers.

 

Linawin natin: Ang Balikatan ay preparasyon sa Digmaan. Hindi ito pre-Olympic games o PE sa mga paaralan. 

 

The Filipino people do not need preparation for proxy wars. What the country urgently needs is a real war against poverty and inequality, price shocks, and unemployment.

 

Ayuda at dagdag sahod, hindi giyera. Kooperasyon, hindi agresyon. Pagkain, hindi armas.

 

The ongoing US-Israel war of aggression against Iran has already shown the world the terrible consequence of militarism – death, destruction, economic disruption, and global price shocks. It is deplorable to invite more regional conflict. Never at our doorstep.

 

Wars benefit arms manufacturers and geopolitical interests, while ordinary people, including workers in soldier’s uniform, bear the burden of inflation, displacement, and destruction. It is because war is a wasteful enterprise funded by taxpayers.

 

In the face of broken federal healthcare, education, and shelter programs, American taxpayers are made to pay for the Typhoon missiles fired from Tacloban to Nueva Ecija, the war budget of Israel, the defense of allied states in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as the maintenance of more than 800 military bases with tens of thousands of US troops worldwide.

 

The world’s people pay a heavy price for wars and conflicts not of their own making. So will Filipinos, once their leaders chose to align with any camp of contending superpowers.

We reiterate our call for demilitarization of the West Philippine Sea: China at US parehong umatras!

 

Only under this condition that explosive territorial disputes do not develop and escalate into shooting wars.

 

Enough of wars! Enough of war drills! Enough of war freak leaders!

 

Funds wasted on weapons and military exercises are better used for universal healthcare, education, public employment, social protection, and comprehensive anti-poverty programs. War preparedness contributes nothing to human development.

Lastly, the Philippines must uphold an independent foreign policy anchored on peace, diplomacy, regional cooperation, and the welfare of its people – not subservience to the military and economic agenda of powerful nations. 

PRESS STATEMENT

05.06.2026

 

Labor party demands turnover of US Marine suspect in transgender killing

Press Release

14 October 2014

Partido Manggagawa (PM) condemns the killing of transgender woman, Jeffrey Serdoncillo Laude a.k.a. Jennifer Laude, allegedly by a US Marine participating in the Balikatan exercise in Olongapo City 11p.m. of October 11.

PM expressed its readiness to mobilize its women and LGBT members and coordinate with other groups in a fight to seek justice for Laude. The group had also been active in the Nicole Subic rape case campaign.

According to reports, the US embassy had issued a statement assuring its full cooperation with Philippine law enforcement authorities.  The same commitment was expressed by the US government during the hearing of “Nicole” in the Subic rape case, but in the end convicted rapist Daniel Smith was allowed to escape by Philippine authorities in collusion with the US embassy.

“It has been almost three days yet both suspect and probable witnesses remain in the custody of American authorities in Philippines soil,” declared PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda. She added that “Similar to our demand during the trial of the Subic rape case, custody of suspect should in the hands of Philippine authorities.”

The group insists that nothing justifies Laude’s killing. “Being gay, hiding the fact that he is gay or being a prostitute does not make Laude’s killing right,” Miranda ended.

PM once more called for the repeal of the Visiting Forces Agreement under whose provisions the Balikatan exercises are conducted. “This recent incident again exposes that the VFA does not provide protection for Filipinos whose civil and social rights may be violated by US soldiers and moreover ties the Philippines to the imperialist agenda of the American government,” Miranda explained.

She furthered that ”We have nothing to gain and more to lose from allowing US soldiers, ships and planes to base in Philippine territory. An independent foreign policy is our best defense against external threats even against China’s claims on disputed islands.”