The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) expressed indignation over the arrival yesterday of United States (US) Joint Chiefs of Staff chairperson Gen. Charles Brown Jr. in Manila it said is part of war preparations the Philippines is being dragged into.
CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena said Brown’s visit in Manila and later in Tokyo, Japan form part of the “war-obsessed” US’ war provocations and preparations in the region against its imperialist rival China.
“As top US general, General Brown is clearly satisfied with how the US Typhon missile system and other weapons have been prepositioned in the Philippines, and how the country has served as base for the deployment of its warships in the South China Sea,” Valbuena said.
In a statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the high-level meeting between Brown and local counterpart Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. underscored the long-standing military alliance between the US and the Philippines.
“Discussions focused on enhancing bilateral defense cooperation, strengthening joint military exercises, and addressing regional security challenges,” the AFP said.
The leaders also discussed future initiatives to bolster defense relations and foster greater interoperability between the AFP and U.S. military units, it said.
“Our alliance with the United States remains a cornerstone of our national security. Through continued collaboration and mutual support, we fortify our defense capabilities and ensure the stability of our region,” General Brawner Jr. said.
The AFP and U.S. Armed Forces continue to engage in various joint activities, including “further solidifying their partnership and readiness to respond to any contingencies.”
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The CPP however said all these fall into the US plan to continue fueling maritime tensions between the Philippines and China and preventing peaceful resolution of conflicts.
The CPP officer said in exchange for US support, the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government and its armed forces are willingly serving as “cogs to the US war machine.”
Marcos Jr. has offered four AFP military bases as venues for US military installations largely seen as moves against Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.
The CPP has repeatedly urged the Manila government to implement an independent foreign policy that favors neither the US or China. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
