ON July 30, the Philippines and the United States will hold a 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Manila, where the U.S. will formally announce approximately $500-M, equivalent to over P29-B, for Foreign Military Financing (FMF).
The U.S. Department of Defense had earlier announced its support for the Philippines due to escalating tensions in the South China Sea.
However, according to political writer and commentator EB Jugalbot, the military aid should be questioned to determine whether it is genuine assistance or not.
“There are two types of FMF. One is a grant, meaning it does not have to be repaid by the beneficiary country. It’s free, or it could be in the form of a direct loan, which means it has to be repaid. That is unclear. So, this is something we should ask Sec. Blinken and Sec. Lloyd Austin about,” said EB Jugalbot, Political Commentator, Writer.
Jugalbot made this statement during the “No To US-BBM Proxy War” forum held on Monday.
U.S. not true friend of PH—political commentator
Jugalbot further stated that, based on the planned U.S. military aid to the Philippines, the so-called friendship between the two countries is dubious.
This is because out of the $81-B total U.S. FMF, $61-B is allocated to Ukraine and $18-B to Taiwan, while only a mere $500-M is designated for the Philippines.
“Almost $80-B of the $81-B goes to just Taiwan and Ukraine. Our share is just $500-M. That’s only 0.63%, not even 1% of the entire $81-B funding. Are you a friend? You’re not even giving 1% and it’s questionable whether it’s free or repayable,” exclaimed Jugalbot.
Jugalbot also highlighted the U.S. military-industrial complex, asserting that the U.S. uses the Philippines as a tool to launch wars.
“The Philippines, like Ukraine and other countries, is being used by the Americans as a tool to extend their military adventurism; their military interventionism in order to fuel their defense industry, which is a big part of their economy,” he stated
Meanwhile, historical records show that the U.S. has been involved in over a hundred military conflicts around the world.
