On July 6, China fired a ballistic missile that reportedly crossed over the northern coast of Luzon before landing in the Pacific. It launched the missile from a submarine in the South China Sea as part of its military exercises.
The Marcos regime’s Department of National Defense, as well as officials from the US and its allies, were quick in condemning China’s missile launch, calling it “a reckless display of military power” and “a calculated act of taunting and provocation.” However, they do not own up and take the accountability of instigating and intensifying the conflict in the Asia-Pacific.
In reality, the US has been the mainly responsible for fueling tensions in Asia-Pacific. It has constantly built up its military power in an effort to assert its dominance and constrain the growth of China in the region and its rise as a global power. Imperialist US is continuously deploying its troops, missiles and powerful war materiel and military bases in the so-called “first island chain,” which includes the Philippines.
The US has been making increasing number of provocations against China through ever-growing military exercises in the region with ever-increasing fire-power. Last May, during the Balikatan military exercises, the US launched a Tomahawk missile on Philippine soil for the first time. The missile is capable of hitting mainland China.
This most recent military exercise by China highlights that it will not sit idly by in the face of US provocations. China’s launching of its own missile through the Pacific and over our coasts in Northern Luzon is a clear and deliberate response to US’ missile launch from the Philippines. This is a dire warning to us on the risks of hosting US military bases in Cagayan Valley and all over the country.
Our region itself currently hosts three US military bases, namely the EDCA sites in Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; the Cagayan North International Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan and in Camp Melchor de la Cruz in Gamu, Isabela. These, among other facilities in the region, are being used by US in its war exercises and in positioning its war materiel, including the Typhon and HIMARS missile systems to the coasts of Northern Luzon.
US provocations by launching its missiles from Philippine soil make the Philippines and our people direct targets for counter-attacks from its enemy. We have nothing to gain from hosting US war exercises and military bases. It only increases the risk of becoming cannonfodder in a conflict between imperialist powers.
The people of Cagayan Valley had expressed their vehement rejection on the establishment of EDCA sites and conducting war exercises in the region. Now is the most critical time to further strengthen our anti-imperialist alliance and struggle to stop the imperialist US’ wars of aggression and expel its war equipment and military bases from the region and the entire country.
NDF-CV calls on the people of Cagayan Valley to broaden and fortify our unity and join the rest of the Filipino people to intensify the all-out campaigns against US military presence in the Philippines. We encourage and support all efforts in building an anti-imperialist movement to assert that the region and the whole of Philippine territory won’t be used in any of US’ war-mongering and inter-imperialist war.
We must all stand in defense of Philippine sovereignty. We do this by persisting in our people’s democratic revolution towards victory that would ultimately liberate us from the yoke of US imperialism.
We call on the Cagayan Valley people, especially the youth to lead the unbroken tradition of anti-colonial and anti-imperialist revolution of the Filipino people. Advance the armed struggle by joining the New People’s Army and overthrow US imperialist rule.
