China warns Philippine-US base deal...

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Agreement, known as EDCA, gave U.S. forces access to five Philippine bases.

It was later expanded to nine, but the locations of the four new bases were withheld until Monday while the government consulted with local officials.

The four sites had been assessed by the Philippine military and deemed "suitable and mutually beneficial", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement Monday.

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that the locations announced were the four new EDCA sites.

It also said in a statement it would add to the "$82 million we have already allocated toward infrastructure investments at the existing EDCA sites", without specifying by how much.

Three of the sites are in the northern Philippines, including a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and an army camp in the neighbouring province of Isabela, Manila's statement said.

The naval base at Cagayan's

Santa Ana is about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Taiwan.

Another site will be an air base on Balabac Island, off the southern tip of Palawan Island, near the South China Sea.

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba has publicly opposed having EDCA sites in his province for fear of jeopardising Chinese investment and becoming a target in a conflict over Taiwan.

But Philippine acting defence chief Carlito Galvez told reporters recently the government had already decided on the sites and that Mamba had agreed to "abide with the decision".

The agreement allows U.S. troops to rotate through the bases and also store defence equipment and supplies.

Martial matters

The United States has a long and complex history with the Philippines.

They share a decades-old mutual defence treaty, but the presence of U.S. troops in the Southeast Asian country remains a sensitive issue.

The United States had two major military bases in the Philippines but they were closed in the early 1990s after growing nationalist sentiment. U.S. troops return to the Philippines every year for joint military exercises, including Balikatan, which kicks off next week. With more than 17,000 soldiers taking part, it will be the largest yet.

The pact stalled under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who favoured China over the Philippines' former colonial master.

But President Ferdinand Marcos, who succeeded Duterte in June, has adopted a more U.S.-friendly foreign policy and has sought to accelerate the implementation of the EDCA. Marcos has insisted he will not let Beijing trample on Manila's maritime rights.

While the Philippine military is one of the weakest in Asia, the country's proximity to Taiwan and its surrounding waters would make it a key partner for the United States in the event of a conflict with China. (Philstar.com with reports from AFP)

Two PH-born soldiers among 9 killed in...

Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, from Austin, Texas, and Sgt. Isaac John Gayo, from Los Angeles were part of the 101st Airborne Division Soldiers participating in a nighttime training exercise when the crash happened on Wednesday, March 29 at around 10 p.m. Bolanos and Gayo were both born in the Philippines. She enlisted in Austin, he in Los Angeles, both in 2019.

Both were in Fort Jackson, South Carolina for basic training and in Fort Eustis, Virginia for advanced individual training.

Gayo’s awards and decorations include the U.S. Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

In March 2020 Bolanos was assigned to the UH-60 Helicopter Repairer and UH-60 Air Crewmember for the Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division.

A promising non-commis-

by Peter White Ethnic Media Services

POLLS were clear before and after the 2022 midterm election. A large majority of Americans think abortion should be legal. More than any other issue, abortion rights brought people out to vote in the last election.

“The Supreme Court’s decision a few months before the 2022 midterm elections was political suicide,” said Suba Srinivasaraghavan, a field organizer with They See Blue in Virginia.

After the decision, she saw a surge in volunteering for get-out-the-vote initiatives.

“More people said ‘yes’ to field organizers, to not just go out and vote, but also to volunteer, to write cards, knock on doors and to donate to many campaigns,” Srinivasaraghavan said.

“Abortion all of a sudden became front and center for many constituents and candidates alike,” she added.

‘Enough is enough’ distanced themselves from their membership and paid a price. Women organizing for autonomy and the right to choose say they will pay again in 2024.

During a national briefing by Ethnic Media Services last week, five organizers explained why reproductive rights would be a top issue in the 2024 Presidential Election.

Justice, noted that abortion care has never been accessible for women of color. “Antiabortion politicians have been working for decades to make abortion difficult to get, and the continued attacks on abortion access fall hardest on communities of color and people working to make ends meet,” she said.

Sgt. Issacjohn Gayo, 27, of Los Angeles

Staff Sgt. Joshua C. Gore, 25, of Morehead City, North Carolina

Corporal Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23, was part of the 101st Airborne Division Soldiers participating in a nighttime training exercises. Photos from Facebook sioned officer, she served nine months in Germany, graduated from Basic Leader Course in 2022 received multiple Army awards.

The other soldiers who were killed in the helicopter crash are listed below:

Warrant Officer 1 Jeffery Barnes, 33, of Milton, Florida

Chief Warrant Officer 2

Zachary Esparza, 36, of Jackson, Missouri

Warrant Officer 1 Aaron Healy, 32, of Cape Coral, Florida

Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30, of Mountain Brook, Alabam Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32, of Rolla Missouri

Sgt. David Solinas Jr, 23 of Oradell, New Jersey. (Inquirer. net)