Filipino fishermen groups protest joint Philippine, US live-fire drills

Manila, April 27 Philippine fishermen groups and their sympathisers have protested the live-fire sea drills involving the sinking of a decommissioned navy ship off the Zambales province, northwest of Manila.

The protesters on Wednesday carried placards that read "US Imperialist No. 1 Terrorist," "No to EDCA!," "No to US Military Bases!," and "No to joint US-Philippine Military Exercises," and called on the Philippine government to scrap the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US.

The protesters held separate rallies at the shoreline and the sea aboard boats. They urged the Filipinos to "resist US wars of aggressions," adding that military exercises are dangerous and dislocate the livelihood of the people, especially the fishermen.

The first-ever Combined Joint Littoral Live Fire Exercise involves nearly 1,400 Philippine and US marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen, Xinhua news agency reported.

The drills include detecting, identifying, targeting and engaging a target ship using a variety of ground and air-based weapons systems.