Filipino fishermen groups protest joint Philippine, U.S. live-fire drills

MANILA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Philippine fishermen groups and their sympathizers on Wednesday protested the live-fire sea drills involving the sinking of a decommissioned navy ship off the Zambales province, northwest of Manila.

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

The protesters held separate rallies at the shoreline and the sea aboard boats. They urged the Filipinos to "resist U.S. 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 approximately 1,400 Philippine and U.S. marines, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen.

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

The drills are part of the largest-scale joint military exercise in decades between the Philippines and United States, which is being held in several areas in the Philippines from April 11 to 28.