Bayan calls on senators to support case vs EDCA

MANILA, Philippines - Militant group Bayan on Friday called on senators to support the various people's organizations that will be petitioning the Supreme Court to nullify the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

The EDCA had been signed recently by Philippine and US government officials hours before the state visit of US President Barack Obama to the country.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. also asked the Senate to probe how the Philippines was duped by the United States in the course of negotiations.

"We call on our senators to join the united front of lawyers, academics, women’s groups, environmentalists, social activists, church groups and health professionals who are set to question before the Supreme Court this grossly unequal and highly toxic EDCA. The Filipino people must not allow such an agreement to be implemented. The pact is an affront to our sovereignty," Reyes said.

He said the Aquino administration should be held to account for negotiating "a most one-sided agreement that will only benefit the United States."

Reyes cited as unacceptable the unlimited access to Philippine facilities by an unlimited number of foreign troops for an unlimited duration, rent-free and tax-free.

"The negotiators themselves should be investigated by the Senate. We should find out what their instructions were from Malacanang. How did we end up with an agreement that is in many instances worse than the 1947 US Bases Agreement," Reyes sad.

"For one thing, it is not true that this agreement is only in effect for 10 years. While Article 12 Sec 4 says that the agreement is in effect initially for 10 years, ‘it shall continue in force automatically unless terminated by either Party.’ In truth, the EDCA could be in force forever," he added.

He also scored the secrecy with which the EDCA was negotiated, and assailed the belated release of the main document, which was done only after President Obama left Manila.

"The delay in the release was obviously to shield Obama from any questions that may cause embarrassment to both US and Philippine governments. Malacanang knew that the pact would raise a lot of controversy," Reyes said.

"We now demand to know that real status of this agreement after it was signed last April 28. We would like to see the annexes to the agreement. What Philippine facilities or ‘agreed locations’ did our government cede to US forces? What activities are lined up now that the EDCA has been signed? What other internal processes have to be completed before the EDCA is fully implemented, as stated in Section XII of the agreement?" he said.