Several militant groups on Tuesday gathered in front of the United States Embassy and protested against the Balikatan military exercise.
“Tinututulan namin ito, una on the basis ang Balikatan exercises ay nagdudulot ng matinding kapahamakan sa mamamayan at sa bayan natin,” said League of Filipino Students National President Ivan Sucgang in Marisol Abdurahman's and Darlene Cay's "24 Oras"After their protest, a police vehicle stopped them along Roxas Boulevard, and the protesters ran away. Two of them were caught and detained by the police.
Meanwhile, the Manila Police District said it was not forbidding anyone from protesting, but protests should only be held in designated freedom parks. “Dito sa lungsod ng Maynila, nirerespeto natin ‘yung kalayaan sa pamamahayag kung saan meron tayong mga freedom park dito. Apat na freedom park ito pwede silang pumunta d’yan,” said Manila Police District spokesperson Police Major Philipp Ines."For the first time, they're doing live fire exercises and simulating the sinking of a ship. It intends to provoke China, intends to escalate the conflict," said BAYAN Secretary General Renato Reyes.
He also said that the joint military exercises involving Filipino and American soldiers were a violation of sovereignty, a violation that has been going on for four decades. Reyes added that only the Americans benefited from the arrangement while the Armed Forces of the Philippines continued to stagnate.— Sherylin Untalan/DVM, GMA Integrated News
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