KMP calls for end of PH-US military exercises on Independence Day
Farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) staged a protest at the United States embassy in Manila on the 127th anniversary of Philippine Independence, denouncing the presence of US troops and military exercises in the country. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines — Farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) staged a protest at the United States embassy in Manila on the 127th anniversary of Philippine Independence, denouncing the presence of US troops and military exercises in the country.
Members of KMP were joined by allied peasant groups in marching along Kalaw Avenue to the US Embassy to criticize the joint-defense drills between Philippine and US troops, along with other allies, including the ‘Balikatan’ and ‘Kamandag’ war games that are currently happening in many provinces, such as Zambales and Palawan.
The group argued that the Philippines has served as a staging ground for the military dominance of US troops in line with its strategic partnership and alliance with Indo-Pacific countries aimed at countering China’s growing influence.
“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,” the KMP said in a statement.
The farmers’ group likewise insisted that the continuous aggression of foreign troops and the presence of war paraphernalia in the country blatantly provoke conflict between the US and China and threaten the security of Filipino civilians.
According to KMP Secretary General Ronnie Manalo, farmers contest the idea that the operations were being done to heighten national security, asserting that the 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,” Manalo said.
READ: US deploys anti-ship missile, holds live-fire drills near China hotspots in WPS
He also appealed to end the war games and address the foreign presence in Philippine territory.
“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 added.
(It’s time to end the presence of foreign troops in our country. Let us call for a stop to all war games, the dismantling of EDCA sites, and the immediate withdrawal of US forces and weapons from our territory.)
Aside from the US embassy, KMP also organized at the EDSA People Power Monument on Thursday afternoon to further amplify their calls to the government.
Joint military exercises
Several iterations of annual joint-military exercises were hosted in various strategic areas in 2025, with the largest being the ‘Balikatan’ between the Philippine and American navies held last April 22 to May 10.
The Balikatan 2025 mobilized over 17,000 Philippine and US troops along northern Luzon, Zambales, and Panay to Palawan.
READ: More drills between PH, US troops set in Batanes, Palawan
Meanwhile, Kasangga and Salaknib military operations are ongoing in Mindanao and Northern Luzon, respectively. (Nelson Jr. Caparas, INQUIRER.net trainee)./coa
