A press conference in Quezon City, Philippines, Philippine Defense Minister Voltaire Gazmin and his Japanese counterpart, Itsunori Onodera, announced that the Philippines would establish basing arrangements with both the US and Japanese militaries. China was the explicit target of this move allowing the US and Japan to station military personnel and equipment in the Philippines.

At the press conference, Gazmin called China “the oppressive neighbor” and the “bully at our doorstep.” He stated, “At this point in time, we cannot stand alone. We need allies. If we don’t do this, we will be bullied by bigger powers and that is what is happening now: there is China, sitting on our territory.”Onodera is in the Philippines on a two-day official visit. In discussions of the disputed waters of the South China Sea, he pledged to help the Philippines defend “its remote islands.”

gazmin onodera2
dndph.org

Onodera also announced that Japan would officially back the Philippines’ claim of territorial sovereignty, which is currently being adjudicated by the United National Commission on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). These statements constitute an unprecedented acknowledgement by Japan of the validity of the Philippine claim to the disputed waters.

“We agreed that we will further cooperate in terms of the defense of remote islands… the defense of territorial seas as well as protection of maritime interests,” Onodera continued. He stated that Japan was “very concerned that this kind of situation in the South China Sea could affect the situation in the East China Sea,” referring to ongoing Sino-Japanese disputes over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

gazmin onodera
dndph.org

Both Defense Ministers called for an increased US military presence in the region, and specifically for basing US forces in the Philippines. Onodera said that “both sides agreed that the US presence is a very important public asset in East Asia.”

The Chinese embassy in Manila issued a statement Thursday, asking the Philippines and the United States “not to exacerbate tensions in the area.” Beijing’s response to Filipino-Japanese talks was sharper. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi denounced them as the “path of confrontation,” stating that they are “doomed.” He added that countries that “try to reinforce their poorly grounded claims through the help of external forces” would find the strategy a “miscalculation not worth the effort.”

There is an escalating US intervention to include US allies in the region in military alliances directed against China. Recent years have not only seen Washington back Japanese claims on the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands, but also develop military bases in Australia and basing agreements for US littoral combat ships in Singapore.

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Preparations to restore the basing of the US military in the Philippines have been long in the making. They were made public in January 2012, during the 2+2 meeting held in Washington between then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and their Philippine counterparts . The details of the basing arrangements are now becoming clearer. Manila is preparing a 70-acre facility at the former Subic Naval Base to house US warships and fighter planes. Upgrades on the site will cost some US$230 million. An airbase is being prepared on Cagayan de Oro, on the southern island of Mindanao.

Some of these bases are now being prepared for Japanese troops and equipment, as well. While the troops stationed in the Philippines would be rotated in and out of the country, this would constitute the permanent stationing the so-called ‘self-defense forces’ outside Japan. If carried through, this unprecedented move would mark the reemergence of Japan as an global imperialist military power.

This move is a further step in Tokyo’s long-standing drive to remilitarize Japan, with Washington’s backing. The Philippines have played a key role in this process. In December 2012, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario told the Financial Times that Manila would support the scrapping of the so-called pacifist clause in the Japanese constitution, which has inhibited Japanese remilitarization, citing tensions with China as the justification.

Gazmin said that Manila would “allow the United States, Japan and other allies access to its military bases under the plan to roll back China’s expansive claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).” What other “allies” were also discussing basing arrangements with the Philippines was not disclosed.

The twentieth century saw the Philippines subjected to the brutal colonial rule of two imperialist powers, the United States and Japan, both of which the Filipino ruling class collaborated with. Under the leadership of President Benigno Aquino, they are actively functioning as the proxies of the same imperialist powers. As Washington recklessly pursues its drive to encircle China, the Philippines is being prepared as the staging point for a global war.

The Philippine constitution explicitly bans all “foreign military bases, troops, or facilities.” This ban is being cynically circumvented by having the Philippine government maintain the base facilities, at which the foreign troops are stationed as so-called “guests.”

During the meeting between Onodera and Gazmin, Washington launched a six-day joint military training exercise with Philippines in South China Sea. Five hundred US military personnel and an equal number of Filipinos are engaged in a series of war games of a calculatedly provocative nature.

The USS Fitzgerald, a guided missile destroyer, and the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, the Philippine navy’s flagship, staged naval maneuvers in waters less than 50 miles from the disputed shoal where Filipino marines are occupying a facility surrounded Chinese naval vessels. The exercise’s stated aim was “to intercept suspected enemy ships, board them and seize materials they may be carrying that could pose a danger to allies.”

The use of the terms “enemy ships” and “allies” is a marked escalation of rhetoric previously used to justify the war games. Previous war games allegedly targeted regional piracy, conducted rescue operations, or defended maritime trade. The 2013 Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercises are now couched in the language of global war.

At Cavite naval base, six miles south of Manila, US military personnel trained their Filipino counterparts in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They launched and remotely guided Puma surveillance drones from a boat in the South China Sea. The Philippine navy also received training in naval gunnery.

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34 COMMENTS

  1. Sabah is owned by the Sultan of Sulu, a citizen of the Philippines. Sabah was leased to a British trading company but was turned over in error to Malaysia when Britain gave Malaysia its independence. Malaysia should have acknowledged the error and returned Sabah to the Philippines. Malaysia continues to pay rental fees, but refuses to acknowledge Sabah is owned by the Sultan of Sulu of the Philippines. As such, Malaysia is pro-China. Both are land grabbers. Birds of the same feather flock together.

    • now if u go back 5000 years with 200 ft lower sea level, what map and who’s land? 10000 years and 400 ft lower sea level, what map and who,s land with all china, korea, taiwan, japan, even PI and other islands without water dividing them? silly monkeys and their programmed pride in pointless groups. who is perpetuating obsolete grouping and division of world people?

  2. If the invasions by China can not be stopped, Filipinos should urge the Congress of the Philippines to quickly push for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late and China invades the rest of the Philippines and become a part of communist China. I like it better that the Philippines become a part of the USA rather than become a part of communist China.

  3. Yes, and those politicians ought to be put to death. On pretext of
    working for the good of the Philippines, they are in fact selling out.
    They are scheming to plunder from loans which eventually will be paid by
    the common citizens of the Philippines. The death penalty should be
    restored in the Philippines and rendered upon the traitors and
    plunderers. They put the poor citizens of the Philippines along with
    their children and the children of their children in bondage to poverty.

  4. And if China’s invasion of Philippine sovereignty can not be stopped, Filipinos better urge the Philippine Congress to quickly push for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. If it can not be avoided, I’d rather see that the Philippines become a part of the USA than become a part of communist China.

  5. Corrupt politicians and their quasi-activists in the Philippines who are
    communist sympathizers, caused the US military to be booted out. Now
    the clear-minded Filipinos desire them dead and the US military back along with the military forces of allies. Yes, those politicians and communist activists ought to be put to death. On pretext
    of working for the good of the Philippines, they are in fact selling
    out to China. Until now they are scheming to plunder from loans from
    China which eventually will be paid by the common citizens of the
    Philippines. The death penalty should be restored in the Philippines
    and rendered upon the traitors and plunderers. They lie, deceive, and exploit the ignorant, gullible, less educated, and poor citizens of the Philippines along with their children and the children of their children in bondage to poverty. The Philippines is militarily weak but will fight tooth and nails in defense of its
    sovereignty. This is why the USA, Japan, Australia, the G7 in Europe,
    and the other countries that care, must come to the aid of the
    Philippines. The Philippines is grateful for all your help. And also help
    us in our campaign to put to death our traitors and plunderers if you can. Thanks!

  6. The Philippines should get the money for the strengthening of its military force by confiscating the unexplained wealth and ill-gotten wealth of the corrupt politicians and corrupt judges who are thieves and plunderers. Also, as a deterrent, after restoring the death penalty, the public should see that the corrupt who betray the public’s trust, and the big time criminals, and the plunderers are put to death and not be role models for the next generation of government officials.

  7. Revising the Constitution takes time, and time is of the essence. If China can not be stopped invading Philippine sovereignty, and if it can not be avoided, Filipinos better urge the Philippine Congress to push for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. It’s better to be a part of the USA than be a part of communist China. Corrupt politicians and their quasi-activists in the Philippines who are communist sympathizers (I hope you are not one of them), caused the US military to be booted out. Look at what those politicians and quasi-activists have become. They are now among the corrupt, and defenders of the thieves and plunderers, and scheming like them. Now, the clear-minded Filipinos desire them dead and the US military back along with the military forces of allies. Yes, those politicians and
    communist sympathizers activists ought to be put to death. On pretext of working for the good of the Philippines, they are in fact selling out to China. Until now they are scheming and / or complicit to plunder from loans from China which eventually will be paid by all citizens of the Philippines. The death penalty should be restored in the Philippines and rendered upon the traitors and plunderers. They lie, deceive,
    exploit, and put the ignorant, gullible, less educated, and poor citizens of the Philippines along with their children and the children of their children in bondage to poverty. The Philippines is militarily weak but will fight tooth and nails in defense of its sovereignty. This is why the USA, Japan, Australia, the G7 in Europe, and the other countries that care, must come to the aid of the Philippines. The Philippines is grateful for all the help that it can get from those who care. And also, help the clear-minded Filipinos in their campaign to put to death the traitors and plunderers and the confiscation of their unexplained wealth and ill-gotten wealth to be used to benefit the poor and the oppressed and to be used in the strengthening of the Philippine military to fight foreign invaders like China.

  8. Those B*AST*ARDS should be put to death and their unexplained wealth and ill-gotten wealth confiscated and used to benefit the poor and the oppressed, and used to strengthen the Philippine military to fight foreign invaders like China. All clear-minded Filipinos now should urge the Philippine Congress to restore the death penalty and render upon the BASTARDS. Also, urge the Congress of the Philippines to legislate to allow the US military force to return to their bases which they left and establish some more if necessary to better protect their mutual interests of defending the Philippines and the world; and also, legislate to allow the military forces of allies to establish their presence anywhere in the Philippines. Also, push for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. It’s better to be a part of the USA instead of becoming a part of communist China.

  9. Those corrupt politicians, corrupt businessmen, corrupt communist sympathizers, and corrupt quasi-activists BASTARDS should be put to death and their unexplained wealth and
    ill-gotten wealth confiscated and used to benefit the poor and the
    oppressed, and used to strengthen the Philippine military to fight
    foreign invaders like China. All clear-minded Filipinos now should urge
    the Philippine Congress to restore the death penalty and render upon
    the BASTARDS. Also, urge the Congress of the Philippines to legislate
    to allow the US military force to return to their bases which they left
    and establish some more if necessary to better protect their mutual
    interests of defending the Philippines and the world; and also,
    legislate to allow the military forces of allies to establish their
    presence anywhere in the Philippines. Also, push for the
    Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. It’s better to
    be a part of the USA instead of becoming a part of communist China.

  10. Russians and Chinese are using the same “playbook”. Philippine Supreme Court and Senate needs to get their s#!T together on the EDCA…it’s not that hard of a decision to make. If the Filipino is NOT willing to fight and die for his country, then don’t expect the allies to put their best efforts forward.

  11. Yes, obliterate China’s reclamations in the contested waters and islets/reefs/shoals that are within the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines. Appeasement simply emboldens China to further invade towards global control. Learn from history, like when Hitler violated the Treaty of Paris and invaded its neighboring countries. Hitler was emboldened when the leaders of the neighboring countries acquiesced to appease Hitler. Only when Churchill fought back and allied with its neighboring countries and the USA and USSR that Hitler was eventually defeated. Likewise, the Philippines must ally with its neighboring countries, the USA, Japan, Australia, India, the G7 in Europe, and the rest of the countries in the world that care.

  12. If
    China can not be stopped invading Philippine sovereignty, and if it can
    not be avoided, Filipinos better urge the Philippine Congress to push
    for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. It’s
    better to be a part of the USA than be a part of communist China.
    Corrupt politicians and their quasi-activists in the Philippines who are
    communist sympathizers, caused the US
    military to be booted out. Look at what those politicians and
    quasi-activists have become. They are now among the corrupt, and
    defenders of the thieves and plunderers, and scheming like them. Now,
    the clear-minded Filipinos desire them dead and the US military back
    along with the military forces of allies. Yes, those politicians and
    communist
    sympathizers activists ought to be put to death. On pretext of working
    for the good of the Philippines, they are in fact selling out to China.
    Until now they are scheming and / or complicit to plunder from loans
    from China which eventually will be paid by all citizens of the
    Philippines. The death penalty should be restored in the Philippines
    and rendered upon the traitors and plunderers. They lie, deceive, exploit,
    and put the ignorant, gullible, less educated, and poor citizens of the
    Philippines along with their children and the children of their
    children in bondage to poverty. The Philippines is militarily weak but
    will fight tooth and nails in defense of its sovereignty. This is why
    the USA, Japan, Australia, the G7 in Europe, and the other countries
    that care, must come to the aid of the Philippines. The Philippines is
    grateful for all the help that it can get from those who care. And
    also, help the clear-minded Filipinos in their campaign to put to death
    the traitors and plunderers and the confiscation of their unexplained
    wealth and ill-gotten wealth to be used to benefit the poor and the
    oppressed and to be used in the strengthening of the Philippine military
    to fight foreign invaders like China.

  13. Revising the Constitution takes time, and time is of the essence. If
    China can not be stopped invading Philippine sovereignty, and if it can
    not be avoided, Filipinos better urge the Philippine Congress to push
    for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. It’s
    better to be a part of the USA than be a part of communist China.
    Corrupt politicians and their quasi-activists in the Philippines who are
    communist sympathizers, caused the US
    military to be booted out. Look at what those politicians and
    quasi-activists have become. They are now among the corrupt, and
    defenders of the thieves and plunderers, and scheming like them. Now,
    the clear-minded Filipinos desire them dead and the US military back
    along with the military forces of allies. Yes, those politicians and communist
    sympathizers activists ought to be put to death. On pretext of working
    for the good of the Philippines, they are in fact selling out to China.
    Until now they are scheming and / or complicit to plunder from loans
    from China which eventually will be paid by all citizens of the
    Philippines. The death penalty should be restored in the Philippines
    and rendered upon the traitors and plunderers. They lie, deceive, exploit,
    and put the ignorant, gullible, less educated, and poor citizens of the
    Philippines along with their children and the children of their
    children in bondage to poverty. The Philippines is militarily weak but
    will fight tooth and nails in defense of its sovereignty. This is why
    the USA, Japan, Australia, the G7 in Europe, and the other countries
    that care, must come to the aid of the Philippines. The Philippines is
    grateful for all the help that it can get from those who care. And
    also, help the clear-minded Filipinos in their campaign to put to death
    the traitors and plunderers and the confiscation of their unexplained
    wealth and ill-gotten wealth to be used to benefit the poor and the
    oppressed and to be used in the strengthening of the Philippine military
    to fight foreign invaders like China.

    • Your comment – “The death penalty should be restored in the Philippines and rendered upon the traitors and plunderers.” , “Yes, those politicians and communist sympathizers activists ought to be put to death.”, while under the same breadth, “Filipinos better urge the Philippine Congress to push for the Americanization of the Philippines before it’s too late. It’s better to be a part of the USA”. So, it’s okay to be a Stockholm Syndrome infested colonial apologizer, but not a regional peace maker?

  14. You don’t have to hate your having a Chinese blood as people are all a mixture of all races. It is the leadership of China that are causing China a bad name. They are themselves putting China into being the enemy of the world. It’s like Japan during the World War 2. It was the leadership of Japan’s military, particularly Tojo of Japanese Army and his sympathizers, that brought Japan into conflict with the USA and the world. Japan was lucky that it was the USA that occupied and guided Japan to peace and prosperity.

  15. its all contrived. if there were really a problem the US would have official bases and official personnel in the (still to this day) post ww2 US territory of taiwan. and not this silly game of keeping taiwan supplied & americanized, but also in the shadows, and its history ( US involvement in suppressing mega china last century, their blue card kmt sun yat-sen, their red card yale man mao, etc) unknown to americans. they’ve been manipulated into divisions, conflict, and oppressive puppet regime since latest westerners arrived in china few centuries ago. same as done to every other nation. it aint rocket science. same cia chapters ev time.

  16. Mabuhay tayo kababayan, I would rather die fighting than being alive as slaves of that greedy country.

  17. UNITED NATIONS:
    An international organization composed of most of the countries of the world. It was founded in 1945 to promote peace, security, and economic development.
    Where is the UN in all this? No comment?
    Any Nation who has so called WON THE LOTTERY will start to flex muscles and want more and more power. It is our Human Nature. As always it is the Evil 10% that always gets in control and screws things up for the common citizen. Again Human Nature. The best way to put CHina in it`s place is too hurt them in the wallet! STOP BUYING FROM CHINA !!!! All nations! But Common Sense is NOT common these days.
    I have been in Alegria Cebu and seen and talked to the Chinese there drilling for oil.

    Mr Filipino you have only Yourself to blame for problems mounting !

  18. Not all, just the pawns of America. The Philippines is a haven for sexpats and Japan is just another US colonial. What a waste.

    • Please. You chinks don’t have a single real friend. No country on the planet really likes you. They just want to take your money, that’s all.

      And China is a polluted shithole of sweatshops and public defecation. I can mock your country too, you see.

      • Say that in real life and on your Facebook account and make your post history not private. I can’t take cowardly little boys seriously.

      • Hey! Lets not get racist okay? You can say whatever you want about Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China, or the People’s Liberation Army because they all deserve the scorn they get but the second you attack Chinese people whether verbally or physically you are no better than the neo-nationalists that patrol the streets of Tokyo and Beijing

        • The person I’m talking to was doing the exact same thing. I admire how nice you are, but it’s wasted on the Chinese.

  19. Lead by malaysia and vietnam. Because dumb ass country malaysia grabb and steal sabah while plastic vietnam steal pugad island to Philippines, we will reclaim all of this for Filipino people

  20. Be careful for what you ask and what you do not ask. Here the Philippines is permitting two of their previous masters to settle in again thinking and hoping they will be there for the ultimate good of the Philippines. Good luck for being gullible.

Comments are closed.