The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) strongly condemns the United States government and military for outright intervention in Philippine affairs in the South China Sea, specifically by directing naval operations in the Ayungin Shoal, through the Command and Control Fusion Center (US Task Force Ayungin).

The presence of American soldiers and military advisers in the so-called command and control center, located inside the Western Command (Wescom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters in Palawan, was admitted only yesterday in a public announcement by US Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin III.

This facility is among many US military facilities around the country that are not officially acknowledged under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), making their existence illegal even under Philippine laws.

The existence of the US command and control center confirms that the US is deeply involved in the operations of the AFP and Philippine Navy and Coast Guard in the South China Sea.

The denotation of the center as “command and control,” which in military parlance means having the overarching authority to set the strategic direction and command over tactical operations, strongly suggests that it is the US Petagon and military itself that is directing the operations in the Ayungin Shoal and the South China Sea.

The revelation raises the question whether the US military was involved in the planning and execution of the resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre last June 17, 2024 which resulted in a mid-sea skirmish between Philippine navy personnel and Chinese coast guard forces. Or was this command and control center established after the incident, which prompted some American officials to criticize the AFP for “lack of coordination.”

Whatever the case, the presence of the US military’s Task Force Ayungin clearly shows that the naval and maritime operations and maneuvers being conducted by the AFP and the Philippine Coast Guard are now under the direct command of the US military.

The Filipino people must protest the US Task Force Ayungin and demand the immediate removal of US soldiers and military advisers in the said command and control center, and the dismantling of all military facilities of the US in Palawan and around the country. They must also protest the newly signed General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), an agreement supposedly for “intelligence sharing,” which will allow the existence of American spies to brazenly operate within the country.

The US government, which has carried out openly hostile economic, political and military measures against China, is clearly a counterforce to efforts to resolve the disputes in the South China Sea through peace and dialogue. Placing the Philippine military and naval forces under the command and authority of the US only serves the strategic interest of the US to raise the temperature of conflict with China and increase the possibility of war.