Posted on 04/28/2014 8:58:48 PM PDT by bkopto
To protest the greater access offered by the Philippine government to the U.S. under a 10-year agreement signed on Monday, militant groups in Manila burned the effigy of visiting U.S. President Barack Obama in an afternoon rally.
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin inked the agreement at a military camp before Mr Obama arrived in the afternoon from Malaysia, the third leg of his four-nation Asian trip.
Under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, which militant groups are against, Manila grants American troops temporary access to some Philippine military camps and would permit them to preposition fighter jets and vessels.
Goldberg said the deal will promote peace and security in the region and allow the two nations which had been allies to respond faster to disasters and other emergencies.
The U.S. used to control vast tracts of land in Subic and Clark in Pampanga province that served as U.S. military bases for decades. In 1991, the Philippine Senate voted to shutter the two bases, but nature hastened the closure when Mount Pinatubo erupted in June that year and made the American troops hastily leave the two camps.
The signing of the 10-year agreement - instead of a treaty which requires parliament's assent - is the highlight of Mr Obama's first visit to the Philippines. His visit is timely since Manila's military power is being tested by China asserting that some parts of the country belong to the Asian giant.
In a joint press conference of the two presidents who are in their early 50s, Mr Obama said the agreement is not meant to counter or control China since Washington has a constructive relationship with Beijing.
However, the second-term Democrat president also said, "Our goal is to make sure international rules and norms are respected and that includes in the area of international disputes," quoted by the Voice of America.
which movie made them mad?
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If he’d only he’d break out those Roman columns again....
Hay man don’t be mean muggin me like that.
Vatican Canonizes Two Dead White Guys, Ignores Obama
I see that some of the protestors are wearing Pro life/anti abortion shirts, and also I see some pro life signs.
Just as likely they’re upset over the US backed push to get them to legalize abortion and allow Planned Parenthood operate there. The majority of folks I talk to there aren’t real pleased with US pressure on them to become as morally foul as the US has become.
Yer right, I gotta move on and start payin’ attention.
Well the world loves us, the seas fell the sick were cured and the blind can see. I mean to think that anyone on the planet would do anything but praise his holy name us just...well it doesn’t bear thinking about!
We are the change we were waiting for and stuff.
MSM will ignore this. But if it was Bush, it would be lead story and front page news.
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