04/20/2026
Today, April 20, in the Philippines, the Balikatan War Exercises —involving more than 17,000 military forces from the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand begins. The exercises will stage various military operations, including gunnery, ship-to-shore offloads, anti-submarine warfare among other activities.
Overseas Filipinos and allies in the Pacific Northwest rallied at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The 1st Multidomain Taskforce at the JBLM directly supplies troops and “high mobility” rocket systems for war rehearsals like Balikatan, as well as more permanent US “rotational force” platoons to occupy the Philippines all year long. These occupying US forces train the Armed Forces of the Philippines to terrorize and surveil our communities under the guise of protection, leading to a condition of de facto martial law for peasants, farmers, and fisherfolk in the countryside!
Join us in our demand to stop the war exercises immediately —especially during the oil crisis that threatens the life of our people.
For the Filipino community - Sign on to the petition: https://www.tinyurl.com/filipinosagainstwar
Watch a virtual press conference led by Filipinos for Peace this week with members of the international community as guest speakers live on the BAYAN USA page.
Monday, April 20, 6PM PT, 9PM ET | Tuesday, April 21, 9AM Manila
