Stop PHL-US war games, group urges – BusinessWorld Online
A GLOBAL human rights watchdog on Monday urged the Philippine government to halt its annual joint war games and anti-China narratives amid concerns that it could skew voters towards candidates friendly to Washington’s interests.
The joint Philippine-US combat drills may be politicized and used to rally support for a stronger US presence amid heightened concerns over a Chinese threat to sovereignty, the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines said.
“By fearmongering and promoting a ‘national security emergency,’ the Marcos administration seeks to stampede voters into supporting their chosen candidates who will further facilitate and justify the US pivot to Asia and military buildup against China,” the coalition said in a statement.
“This is political manipulation at gunpoint: democracy under siege.”
US Embassy in Manila spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay in a Viber message said the Balikatan represents “our ironclad commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, and our solemn commitment to each other, as allies, to defend our shared interests.”
The Presidential palace and Philippine military did not immediately reply to separate Viber messages seeking comment.
“Elections must be free from fear, free from foreign soldiers, and free from proxy war manipulations,” coalition chairman Peter Murphy was quoted as saying.
Philippine and US forces last week started their annual combat drills that are staged near key locations facing regional flashpoints like the South China Sea and Taiwan. The exercises, which will run until May 9, will involve about 14,000 troops and an array of advanced weaponry to enhance force interoperability.
Filipinos will pick a new set of lawmakers, including half of the Senate, as well as thousands of local officials on May 12.
“The government and military have unleashed an aggressive, full-spectrum PR blitz to push anti-China narratives… they are manufacturing consent for heightened militarization and foreign intervention,” said Mr. Murphy. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
