About 5,000 protesters held a vigil against the U.S.-Philippine wargames in front of the former Clark Air base in Angeles, central Luzon.

Leaders said their campaign will snowball in all major metro areas until nationwide indignation is achieved against the joint exercises.

Fifteen organisations led by Bayan and the Central Luzon Alliance for Sovereign Philippines called for the pull-out of American soldiers who are still in central Luzon, a staging area for further deployment to Zamboanga City and Basilan Island in southern Philippines, and to Cebu City in central Philippines, where ongoing war-games are being held.

The U.S. troops in central Luzon just concluded a 'balance piston' exercise on February 16, but are still around, the protesters complained.

"They are participating in the regular combat operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, a sign that the American presence in central Luzon will last longer," said the protesters, hinting that the target of the wargames in central Luzon are the communist New People's Army (NPA).

"We want the ongoing Philippine-U.S. joint exercises in Zamboanga, Basilan, and Cebu to end now," said the protesters, adding the presence of American soldiers in these areas, including central Luzon has become "a shame to Philippine independence".


Bayan chair Roman Polintan said their number will balloon to 10,000, adding that they have the support of workers and students from central Luzon, including those from metro Manila who joined them in the march from Manila to Pampanga last Thursday.

"If we have the support of these people, we can't go wrong," said Polintan, adding that the politicised Filipino masses are against the U.S. presence in the country's war-zones against the Abu Sayyaf which is still holding two American missionaries and one Filipino nurse in Basilan.

Workers at Clark Special Economic Zone, including the 600-member Association of Concerned Clark Development Corp, joined the vigil.

Some 100 anti-riot guards were put on alert. They were ordered to prevent the protesters from entering the area, which was also frequented by anti-U.S. protesting militant groups when the country was still hosting two of the largest U.S. overseas war facilities.

About 20 San Fernando policemen were deployed at Clark's main gate to "maintain peace and order".

More than 5,000 farmers and workers from northern, central, and southern Luzon, the Bicol Region and Metro Manila began on Thursday a 16-km march to the former Clark Air Base to protest the U.S.-Philippine war games.

Exiled founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, Jose Maria Sison, said earlier the Philippine government has dragged the U.S. military in, in its effort to solve its insurgency problem with the left through military means.

The government has held on and off peace talks with the 35-year-old communist National Democratic Front.