THE first-ever Trilateral Summit between leaders of the Philippines, Japan and the United States is taking place now in Washington, D.C. Issues of colonization, military bases and war crimes have been intertwined with the collective history of the three countries from the onset of the 20th century. Yet they have put these issues aside to focus on their current concerns about the rising geopolitical tensions in our part of the world.
Since he was sworn into office less than two years ago, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has increasingly steered the country's foreign policy direction toward the West. Last year, he granted the US access to four military sites in addition to the five existing bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement of 2014.
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