No to the US Rotational Accord

The Department of Foreign Affairs is currently negotiating with the United States a so-called “Rotational Framework Agreement”. Under this proposed treaty, US forces would be allowed access and use of military bases in the Philippines as part of its defense policy that shifted 80 percent of its naval power to  Asia and the Pacific.

The fact that the DFA is negotiating this agreement clearly indicates that what is contemplated goes beyond American forces  “visiting” the country, which is already governed by the Visiting Forces Agreement. In fact, a treaty is necessary if the Americans were to station their troops in the country for any other reason other than to “visit”. Under the 1987 Constitution, foreign troops, bases, and facilities shall not be allowed in our territory unless it is through a treaty duly recognized as such. This provision is a clear manifestation of our disdain for the presence of foreign troops in our country for good reasons. First, because of our bitter experience in history where the United States imposed on us an unjust treaty as a pre-condition to our independence that allowed it to maintain its largest naval and air bases abroad here long after our independence, or until 1991 when the Jovy Salonga’s Senate kicked them out; and two, because the presence of these troops in our territory is contrary to our national interests for various reasons. To begin with, the presence of foreign troops and facilities offends our national sovereignty and jurisdiction. Under international law, the principle of equality of states dictates that states should be supreme within the confines of their national territory. Foreign bases, troops and facilities are almost always immune from domestic jurisdiction. Their presence hence is always anathema to national independence.

More importantly, the presence of foreign troops in our country will, under the laws and customs of warfare, make us a party to any conflict that the Americans are party to even without our consent. This is because the presence of American troops in our military bases and facilities renders our facilities valid objects of military attack on the part of her enemies. Our consent to for them to use any of all our bases is in effect, our tacit approval to follow the United States to war, even if it is not to our national interest to be engaged in such a conflict.

There too is the social cost of allowing sex-starved GI Joes in Subic and Clark. We know from our recent history that troops that have spent substantial time at sea have problems controlling their libido to the detriment of our women and children. Despite the fact that rape is a non-service related offense, we have learned from Lance Corporal Daniel Smith and the others that allowing US forces in our territory is tantamount to a grant of impunity for these servicemen to sexually abuse our women and children.
American lackeys in our government justify this Rotational Agreement as a valid means of promoting our national defense policy especially now that we have territorial disputes with the regional giant, China. This people are deaf and blind to reality.  The truth is the Americans will station their troops here not to protect us, but only to advance its national interest. Currently, that interest is only to safeguard the freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea. The Americans since 1933, when France first laid claim to the Spratlys, have never recognized the Philippine title to the Spratlys and Scarborough. Forget too the possibility of Uncle Sam coming to our rescue in case of a shooting war with China over these disputed islands. They have repeatedly said that if such shooting should happen, they do not consider  such as being covered by our Mutual Defense Pact with them.

The bottom line is that the Americans have long abandoned the establishment of permanent military bases abroad as being too expensive and as being obsolete. Given its current financial difficulties, the US now prefers to operate from military bases in countries that it can dupe. Even if we appear to have common interests currently against China, let’s not deceive ourselves that we are high up on their priorities in Asia.  In fact, while they have never recognized our title to the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea, they have repeatedly promised to come to the aid and assistance of their most important ally in Asia, Japan. If only for this, we should allow Japan alone to have the burden of hosting American troops and facilities.
We study history so that we can learn from it. Let’s hope that we have learned our lesson from history. Foreign troops and facilities cannot promote the Filipino interests. Only the Filipinos can. While there is a need to increase our capability to defend ourselves, we should do so using the billions of funds which have been misappropriated by Janet Napoles and her cohorts in Congress and the Presidency as pork barrel. Already, the P23.6-billion in Malampaya funds which COA suspects have been misappropriated as pork can buy no less than 40 warships similar to the BRP Del Pilar. This will promote our defense capability, and not our mendicancy and dependence on Uncle Sam.

source:  Manila Standard by Atty. Harry Roque Jr.