DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 15, 2014) – Filipino communist rebels have accused President Benigno Aquino of selling out the country’s sovereignty by forging a deal with the United States that allows American forces more access to the Philippines.
“The new military treaty is bound to be as perfidious and violative of Philippine sovereignty as all previous agreements such as the Mutual Defense Treaty, the Military Bases Agreement and the Visiting Forces Agreement,” the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said.
It also condemned the Aquino government for granting US forces the privilege of setting up military facilities in the country.
“For over three years now, the Aquino regime has displayed out and out puppetry to the US military and government that so-called negotiations with its imperialist master can only turn out to be farce,” it said.
US President Barack Obama is set to visit the Philippines next month and both leaders are expected to announce the Agreement on Enhanced Defense Cooperation that would allow American forces set up bases or use Filipino bases as its camps.
“This agreement is a throwback to the era of US military bases, where thousands of US combat troops, their warships, jet fighters, communication facilities, nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction were stationed within the country, and where the bases were used as launching pads for aggression in defense of US interests,” the CPP said.
“The so-called enhanced cooperation will be bringing back the Military Bases Agreement and worse, allow the US military access to facilities practically all over the country,” pointed out the CPP. “Wherever the AFP is, the US military can be also. Wherever the AFP is not, the US military can finance the AFP to set up or expand its military camps,” it added, referring to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The CPP also cited the Aquino regime’s rush to construct and expand facilities within and around the AFP’s naval bases in Oyster and Ulugan Bays, both in Palawan, in order to address the demand for larger and more modern ports to accomodate the increasing number of US warships docking in the Philippines. “Thus, the funds of the AFP modernization program are essentially being used to upgrade facilities to be used by the US military.”
“Aquino’s Amboy officials are fooling the people when they claim that the servant who prepares the best room for his master can and will demand his master to let him enter the room to look around to make sure that the master will follow his house rules,” it said. “The pretentious master can allow his servant to look around to make him feel as if he actually owns his home, but will not actually allow the servant to scrutinize his luggage.”
Amboy refers to Filipino government officials who favor or lobby for the US. It is a contraction of “American boy.”
“How can the Filipino people ever trust the Philippine military and the puppet Philippine government to defend national sovereignty in the face of its obsequiousness to the US military which supplies its weaponry and provides for its “modernization,” training and indoctrination.”
“Negotiations between the US military and the Aquino regime have been going on for close to two years now, yet very scant information as to the details of the draft agreement has been made public. Aquino’s defense and military negotiators must be held responsible for keeping the Filipino people in the dark on a matter of crucial importance as one involving the country’s sovereignty,” the CPP said.
But since 2001, US forces have been using Philippine military bases in Mindanao following the kidnappings of three American citizens – Kansas missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, and California man Guillermo Sobero – by the Abu Sayyaf.
In Sulu province, the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines is using the then army brigade headquarters and now a marine camp, as its forward base. And in Zamboanga City, JSOTF-P has utilized the Western Mindanao Command as both intelligence and command post, and a Philippine Air Force base there as its aircrafts and drones hangar. And the Mactan Air Base in Cebu has been used as a base for Orion spy planes.
Those American camps are also off limits to Filipino military commanders and soldiers unless they are given clearance or pass to go inside the bases. And US troops are also deployed in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi provinces and other parts of Mindanao in the guise of training Filipino soldiers in fighting terrorism. (Mindanao Examiner)
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