Militants troop to US Embassy to protest Balikatan exercises

As the 32nd Balikatan Exercises commenced, militant groups converged before the United States (US) Embassy in Manila Monday morning to call for the cancellation of the said exercises.

The groups, composed of Kilusang Mayo Uno, League of Filipino Students and Bayan Muna, among others, also called on the government to junk treaties between the Philippines and the US including the Mutual Defense Treaty, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and Visiting Forces Agreement.

Militanteng grupo, nagprotesta sa @usembassymanila kasabay ng pagsisimula ng Balikatan exercises. | via Carlo Mateo pic.twitter.com/yhgicsKHx7

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) April 4, 2016

According to a report by Dano Tingcungco on Balitanghali, the group claimed that such treaties, including the Balikatan exercises, would only make the country a pawn of the US in advancing its interests in Asia.

Meters away from the US Embassy, the police, armed with shields and truncheons, blocked the path of the protesters, but no confrontation occurred.

The police did not stop protesters from burning a US flag during their program.

Thousands of US and Filipino soldiers will take part in the 11-day Balikatan exercises launched Monday.

The annual war games are expected to show how the Philippines can counter China in the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea. —Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/KG, GMA News