Patriotic groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) marked the 34th anniversary of the historic expulsion of US military bases in the Philippines on September 16. They protested in front of the US Embassy in Pasay City to denounce the growing presence of American troops, weapons, war games, and US military bases in Philippine territory.

On September 16, 1991, more than 170,000 patriotic Filipinos gathered in front of the Senate, then still located in Manila, to reject the extension of the RP-US Military Bases Agreement. Twelve senators voted to reject the said agreement.

“This was a monumental victory forged by the people’s collective struggle against foreign domination,” said Bayan. The group added that this victory ended decades of unchecked US military entry and exit in the Philippines, which trampled on national sovereignty.

“The nation now faces an alarming reversal of this victory,” said Bayan. In the succeeding years and under regimes that continuously bootlicked US imperialism, various agreements and legal bases were formed for the re-entry of US military troops into the Philippines.

These include the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) signed in 1998, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) in 2014, and more of its military bases during the Marcos regime. The Marcos regime also allowed other foreign troops such as those from Japan, Australia, and others into the territory, at the behest of its US imperialist master.

“We condemn the US-led reoccupation of our territory and demand an immediate end to all policies that subordinate our national interests to Washington’s warmongering agenda,” Bayan declared.

The intensified US military presence and that of its allied countries in the Philippines further fuels tensions and confrontations with its rival imperialist China. This exposes the nation and Filipinos to danger.

“This subservience also flouts international law and the UN Charter, which guarantee the self-determination of peoples and non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states,” said Bayan.

According to the group, the presence of US military troops in the country must be consistently opposed, stressing that “imperialism is the root, corruption is the fruit, and sovereign loss is the result.”

The League of Filipino Students also joined the protest at the US Embassy. According to the group, the younger generation must use their ability and energy to expose the true nature of imperialism in the country as the root of violence, poverty, and oppression of Filipinos.

The group called on fellow Filipino youth to strengthen their anti-imperialist struggle.