US imperialist war is on the rise. From its more than two year proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, to its backing of Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people, the US is exerting its military might as it tries to retain its weakening power across the globe. And while it has yet to break out in the region, we see the growing threat of full-blown inter-imperialist war in the Asia-Pacific as the US continues to encircle China economically, politically, and militarily.

The Asia Pacific region, where 40% of the global population resides, is the world’s largest market for US exports. Troubled by the current global crisis, the US looks towards Asia’s growing economies in the hope of tapping their markets to save its own economy. However, the growing influence of China in the region and beyond is considered a threat to US hegemony. In this context, the US continues to push its imperialist neoliberal agenda in the region, including its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) and so-called “first island chain.”

The Philippines is the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2015, the US has delivered more than $1 billion worth of planes, armored vehicles, small arms, and other military equipment and training. Just last year, the Marcos regime handed four new EDCA bases to the US, bringing the total to nine. And while the Filipino people must also assert our sovereign rights against China's territorial incursions in the West Philippine Sea, turning to US imperialism for "protection" will never be the answer. When looked at in sum, the US is orchestrating the largest military build- up in the Philippines since the end of the Cold War.

The presence of US military on Philippine soil is a violation of the 1987 Constitution and a violation of national sovereignty. It is a source of extreme violence against peasant farmers, workers, women, trans people, Indigenous peoples, and children. It is also a major source of environmental destruction. In addition to the US military's direct impacts on communities surrounding base areas, the Philippine state has leaned on the US' continued financial support and arms deals to buy more weaponry and surveillance equipment to use against the Filipino people's revolutionary movement. It wastes the people's money on these counterinsurgency programs rather than addressing chronic poverty, landlessness, joblessness, and services for Filipinos in need, including those of us overseas.

With this year marking 125 years since the opening of the Philippine-American War, 25 years since the signing of the VFA, and 10 years since the signing of the EDCA, BAYAN USA has publicly launched its US Out of the Philippines Campaign.