Quezon City – On a highway in the Ilocos Norte province earlier this month, Father Arvin Mangrubang of the Philippine Independent Church slowly drove opposite a dozen or so hulking armoured vehicles and trucks carrying United States soldiers.He felt a pit form in his throat.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“It’s become so normalised around here, the military, the threat of war,” Mangrubang told Al Jazeera.This coastal province on the country’s northwestern tip faces the South China Sea and is just 345km (214 miles) south of Taiwan.Due to its strategic location, the province regularly hosts high-profile displays of military might as part of US-Philippines war games, including the recently concluded annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) joint exercises.Father Mangrubang says US soldiers can be spotted all year round in the area, but during the summer months of April and May, their military operations kick into high gear.What feels like an occasional reminder of potential conflict is then transformed by the Balikatan exercises into a palpable invitation that confrontation could be just around the corner.“The constant display of tanks, drones and loud gunfire sends everyone into a fright, especially those who live so close to the operations,” Mangrubang told Al Jazeera.This year’s three-week-long Balikatan exercises were the biggest so far, with more than 17,000 soldiers taking part from six countries alongside the Philippines.The US military made up the lion’s share of the foreign contingent, with some …
