Philippines, US joint military drills kick off amid energy crisis, protest

Amid high fuel prices, the Philippines and the United States launched their annual joint military drills in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Monday, with five other nations participating.

Filipino protesters held a rally outside the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Monday morning, holding placards reading "Stop Balikatan," "Pull out US troops and missiles" and "US imperialist No.1 Terrorist."

"Blindly obeying the United States is pushing us into the risk of war," said Gabriel Magtibay, national chairperson of the League of Filipino Students. He said that the Philippines should not be used to serve the war agenda of the US.

The drill, named "Balikatan" (shoulder-to-shoulder), involves over 17,000 troops, including contingents from Australia, Canada, France, Japan and New Zealand, and will last until May 8, according to a press statement.

Impacted by the Middle East conflict, the Philippines declared a state of national energy emergency in late March. Filipinos have been criticizing the government for allowing US military presence in the Philippines, and calling for improving the economy and people's livelihood.

(The flags of the Philippines (L) and the United States. /VCG)