ICHRP On Trump-Marcos Meeting: Peace Must Be Based On Justice, Not Deterrence
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) considers the Trump-Marcos Jr. meetings taking place from July 20 to 22 in Washington, DC as anything but a meeting of equals. The purpose of the visit as described by the Philippines is to discuss how the two countries can further deepen their security and economic engagements, including what Philippine Ambassador Romualdez has called 'peace through deterrence.' In reality the meeting represents the subservience of the GRP to the US, and the development of the 'peace through deterrence' strategy will only bring more war and destruction to the Filipino people.
This meeting follows the growing trend of increasing militarization in the Philippines. The US and its allies have ramped up preparations for war against China, boosting mutual defence agreements, and conducted large-scale combat exercises in the Philippines, with increasing frequency.
These recent moves include the February 2023 agreement to place four more US military bases in the Philippines – three of them oriented towards Taiwan – under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Arrangement (EDCA). In April 2024, the US military began deploying in Northern Luzon a new offensive intermediate-range land-based missile system known as Typhoon, which is capable of reaching large population centres in mainland China. In June 2025 the US House appropriations committee announced the intention to establish a forward-based munitions factory and storage facility at Subic Bay, Philippines, and this July the US announced plans to build two new ship repair facilities near the disputed West Philippine seas.
'The US military build up in the Philippines is not defensive nor geared towards peace, but aggressive war preparations that put the Filipino people at risk to be collateral damage in a war with China. The Filipino people don't want to be a battlefield for a great power war,' said ICHRP Chairperson Peter Murphy. 'ICHRP urges all nations in the region to deescalate the frightening military buildup towards war,' said Murphy.
The Marcos-Trump meeting takes place following intensive attacks from Trump against poor and working Filipinos, both in the Philippines and in the US. On July 9, the White House announced a 20 per cent tariff taking effect on August 1st of this year, which disproportionately impacts peasants and workers in the Philippines. Within the United States, the Trump administration continues an all out attack on migrants including the detention, inhumane and illegal treatment of Filipino migrants. The imposition of tariffs, the maltreatment of Filipino migrants — unchallenged by Marcos Jr — and the increasing US military presence in the Philippines will further plunge the most marginalized in Philippines society into poverty.
Due to the major socioeconomic issues of the Philippines, the country remains embroiled in a long-standing civil war. But the US, Australia, Canada, Japan and other Western allies ignore gross violations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law occurring in the Philippines in favour of deepening military cooperation and arms sales to the Philippines as part of their broader preparation for war against China.
Peace in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region will not come through the US 'deterrence' strategy. Genuine peace must be based on justice which necessitates the undoing of the unequal US-Philippines relationship most characterized by US economic coercion and military dominance of the country.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
Trump warns of ‘real starvation' in Gaza as aid deliveries pick up
Trump's remarks came after Netanyahu, during a reception on Sunday for Trump's spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain in Jerusalem, declared: 'There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza.' US food centres The United States already backs food centres under the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), but the group's high-security operations have been criticised after repeated incidents in which Israeli troops have reportedly fired on civilians near its distribution points. Trump said the UK and European Union would back the new effort, and that the new food centres would be easier to access – 'where the people can walk in, and no boundaries'. 'It's crazy what's going on over there,' he added. The war in Gaza has dragged on for almost 22 months, creating a dire humanitarian crisis only exacerbated by an Israeli blockade on supplies imposed from March to late May. The easing of the blockade coincided with the beginning of the GHF's operations, which effectively sidelined Gaza's traditionally UN-led aid distribution system and have been criticised as grossly inadequate. In recent days, the UN and humanitarian agencies have begun delivering more truckloads of food after the Israeli military declared a daily 'tactical pause' in the fighting and opened secure aid routes amid mounting international outrage over hunger in the territory. Jamil Safadi said he had been getting up before dawn for two weeks to search for food, and Monday was his first success. 'For the first time, I received about five kilos of flour, which I shared with my neighbour,' said the 37-year-old, who shelters with his wife, six children and a sick father in a tent in Tel al-Hawa. Other Gazans were less fortunate. Some complained aid trucks had been stolen or that guards had fired at them near US-backed distribution centres. 'I saw injured and dead people. People have no choice but to try daily to get flour. What entered from Egypt was very limited,' said 33-year-old Amir al-Rash. Israel's new tactical pauses apply only to certain areas, and Gaza's civil defence agency reported 54 people killed in Israeli attacks on Monday (local time). The Israeli Defence Ministry's civil affairs agency, COGAT, said the UN and aid organisations had been able to pick up 120 truckloads of aid on Sunday and distribute it inside Gaza, with more on the way on Monday. Basic supplies Jordan and the United Arab Emirates have begun airdropping aid packages into Gaza, while Egypt has sent trucks through its Rafah border crossing to an Israeli post just inside the territory. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, cautiously welcomed Israel's recent moves but warned Gaza needed at least 500 to 600 trucks of basic food, medicine and hygiene supplies daily. 'Opening all the crossings and flooding Gaza with assistance is the only way to avert further deepening of starvation among the people of Gaza,' UNRWA said. Netanyahu has denied Israel was deliberately starving civilians, but on Monday two local rights groups, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, accused the country of 'genocide' – a first for Israeli NGOs. Israel has said the UN should quickly make use of the pauses in fighting and secure aid routes. 'More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organisations equals more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza,' said COGAT. But the amount of aid entering the territory still falls far short of what is needed, say experts, who have called for a permanent ceasefire, the reopening of more border crossings and a long-term, large-scale humanitarian operation. 'We're one-and-a-half days into these new measures. Saying whether or not it is making a difference on the ground will take time,' Olga Cherevko, a spokeswoman for the UN's humanitarian agency, told AFP from Gaza, where the buzz of drones could be heard overhead. 'We know it's not perfect but we want to stay positive and we're seeing positive steps, because, for example, even the fact that all the requests to go and collect cargo yesterday were approved is already a step in the right direction.' Indirect truce talks between Israel and Hamas – mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States – have faltered, and Netanyahu remains determined to push on with the campaign to destroy Hamas and recover Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed 59,921 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. - Agence France-Presse
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
Trump warns Russia: End Ukraine war in 12 days or face sanctions
'I really felt it was going to end. But every time I think it's going to end he kills people. 'I'm not so interested in talking [to him] anymore,' he added. Ukraine swiftly praised the US President's stand and thanked Trump for 'standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength'. 'When America leads with strength, others think twice,' Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak said on social media. The comments came after Trump and Starmer held a bilateral meeting that focused on ending the suffering in Gaza and reviving stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas. Trump announced the US would set up walk-in 'food centres' in Gaza. Golf diplomacy 'We're going to be getting some good strong food, we can save a lot of people. I mean, some of those kids - that's real starvation stuff,' he said. Starmer, under domestic pressure to follow France's lead and recognise a Palestinian state, called the situation unfolding in Gaza an 'absolute catastrophe'. The pair also discussed the implementation of a UK-US trade deal that was signed on May 8 that lowered tariffs for certain UK exports but has yet to come into force. Trump hosted Starmer and his wife Victoria under tight security at Turnberry, where he had spent two days playing golf since landing in Scotland on Friday night for a five-day visit. Their talks came after the United States and the European Union reached a landmark deal to avert a full-blown trade war over tariffs, when EU chief Ursula von der Leyen visited Trump at the resort on Sunday. Trump hinted that he would not impose heavy tariffs on British pharmaceuticals. 'We certainly feel a lot better with your country working on pharmaceuticals for America than some of the other countries,' he told Starmer. 'With the relationship we have, you would not use that as a cudgel. You wouldn't be using it as a block,' he added. Trump set out early in his second term to fulfil a decades-long desire of reshaping US trade with the world, with his administration predicting his aggressive strategy of punitive tariffs could bring '90 deals in 90 days'. After months with very little to show, he is now enjoying some success, landing accords with Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and, most importantly, the European Union. The deals are expected to kick in August 1 to replace the current tariff regime these economies face, a White House spokesperson told AFP. After their meeting, Trump and Starmer were to travel to Aberdeen in Scotland's northeast, where the US President is to open a new golf course at his resort on Tuesday. Trump played golf at Turnberry on Saturday and Sunday on a five-day visit that has mixed leisure with diplomacy, and also further blurred the lines between the presidency and his business interests. – Agence France-Presse
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
US tariff tussles stuff of nightmares for Bordeaux winemakers
While Trump said European exports face 15% tariffs across the board, both sides said there would be carve-outs for certain sectors. EU head Ursula Von der Leyen said the bloc still hoped to secure further so-called 'zero-for-zero' agreements, notably for alcohol, which she hoped to be 'sorted out' in the coming days. Philippe Tapie, chairman of regional traders' union Bordeaux Negoce, which represents more than 90% of the wine trade in the Bordeaux area, is worried by the uncertainty. 'One day, it is white, the next it is black - the US Administration can change its mind from one day to the next and we have no visibility,' he told AFP. In mid-March, Trump had threatened Brussels with 200% tariffs on alcohol in response to a proposed EU tax on US bourbon. Then in April he brandished a new threat of 20% across the board on EU products, a threat ultimately suspended. Since then, the level first held at 10% but, in late May, the US leader threatened to revert to 50% before pivoting to 30% starting August 1, the deadline for the negotiations with the EU that led to a preliminary accord after Trump and Von der Leyen met in Scotland. In vino, veritas is unpredictability 'At 10% or 15%, we'll find solutions. At 30%, no. End of story,' Tapie warned just ahead of the announcement as he criticised a 'totally unpredictable American Administration'. To export wine, 'there's a minimum of 30 days by boat. If you go to California, it's 60 days. We can't think in terms of weeks,' says Tapie, who says he has 'never been confronted with such a situation' in 30 years of business. Twins Bordeaux, one of Bordeaux's leading wine merchants, also laments the tariffs' impact. 'The American market represents about a third of our turnover, or around €30m,' explains Sebastien Moses, co-director and co-owner of Twins, which usually ships upwards of a million bottles a year to the US. Since January, 'our turnover must have fallen by 50% compared to last year,' he says. 'So far, we've managed to save the situation, because as soon as Donald Trump was elected we anticipated this and sent as much stock as possible to the US,' explains Moses, though longer term he says this is not a 'stable' strategy. Fly it out? As an attempted work around Twins Bordeaux even shipped cases of around 10,000 bottles by air in March. 'But only very expensive wines, at no less than €150-200 per bottle, because by air it's at least two and a half times the price of shipping by sea,' he said. For Bordeaux wine merchant Bouey, the US market represents less than 10% of its exports. 'We have long since undertaken a geographical expansion. Faced with the global chaos, commercial strategies can no longer be based on a single- or dual-country strategy,' Jacques Bouey, its chief executive, told AFP in April. The tariffs come with the industry already struggling with declining consumption that has led to overproduction and a collapse in bulk prices. By early 2023, a third of Bordeaux's approximately 5000 wine growers admitted to being in difficulty. 'We're starting to become world champions in terms of accumulating problems,' complained Tapie. -Agence France-Presse
