There is no doubt the Supreme Court made the right decision when it ruled in favor of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, declaring the accord as constitutional and saying it is an executive agreement that does not require Senate concurrence and that it is in keeping with existing laws and treaties – namely the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the United States which allow the entry of foreign troops here in the country.
More than 80 percent of Filipinos look at our relationship with the US in a favorable light as indicated by the Global Attitudes Survey. Local surveys have also shown that 90 percent of Filipinos welcome the continued presence of American military in the Asia Pacific region – information that was seconded by our private homegrown pollster who said Filipinos are comfortable with having the VFA and EDCA in place. All of these, owing to the continually growing aggression that is being displayed by China – something that many other nations are getting wary about as well.
The new top guy of the US Navy – Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson who took over from Admiral John Greenert four months ago – has warned against China’s increasing military capabilities and its growing potential to act irresponsibly as a global power. Short of calling China an aggressor, the Navy chief has urged the US to maintain its maritime supremacy – which is exactly the strategic vision he has outlined. Like Russia, China’s goals are backed by “a growing arsenal of high-end war fighting capability, much of which is focused on our vulnerabilities,” he said. Intelligence sources say that while Richardson is amenable to the idea of engaging with China – like what his predecessor wanted – he is convinced that the United States should counter China’s growing aggression towards its neighbors (which certainly includes the Philippines).
Following the SC ruling, we can now proceed to flesh out the implementing rules and regulations that would govern the EDCA including the areas where US troops can be deployed and where equipment can be located. For sure, a few critics will still have something to say against the agreement and will insist that it violates our sovereignty, etc. But let’s face it – there is really nothing new with EDCA considering that the VFA – upon which it has been predicated – has been in existence for over a decade, having been ratified by the Senate during the time of President Joseph Estrada.
The Philippines has benefited from the valuable assistance provided by the US military and their satellite equipment that helped locate notorious terrorists like Commander Robot of the Abu Sayyaf Group. Critics conveniently omit the humanitarian assistance and disaster response component of the EDCA. Admittedly, the single biggest challenge is to make sure that visiting American servicemen will not commit a crime again like in the case of Joseph Pemberton. The implementing regulations should have the soldiers confined in one area with travel restrictions indicated. After all, American troops are supposed to be here on official duty and definitely not as tourists out for some R&R.
Other than that, many Filipinos welcome the EDCA and are convinced that the Philippines has a secure safety net in place. Full credit goes to the Aquino administration where strides are being made to push the AFP modernization plan and bring our military closer to achieving a minimum credible defense posture, as seen in the recent purchase of new fighter jet planes. But until such time as we are able to fully beef up our military, our special relationship with the US should keep us in good stead. In the diplomatic front, we have done very well, too. We commend Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, who against all odds, stood pat in his position that at this time, the best way to secure the country from external threats is to strengthen relations with our allies like the United States.
Japan: Our closest Asian ally
The planned visit of Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko is another historical milestone in terms of our relations with Japan. This will be the first time that a Japanese Emperor – more so the Imperial Couple – will be visiting the Philippines since diplomatic relations were established 60 years ago.
The Imperial Couple rarely invite state visitors but they gave a warm welcome to President Aquino on his state visit to Japan last year, where he was invited to stay at the Akasaka Palace guesthouse. The Imperial dinner was attended by 18 members of the Imperial family including the reticent Crown Princess Masako, wife of Crown Prince Naruhito.
At the State dinner hosted by Prime Minister Abe for President Aquino, Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force head, Rear Admiral Hisanori Sato (who was seated next to me), indicated that Japan is ready to play a major role in strengthening the alliance between our countries and in increasing its defense capabilities against external threats.
No doubt our relationship with Japan today is the best it has ever been, and credit is given to Ambassador Manolo Lopez who steadfastly worked on arranging the presidential visit to Japan and now the forthcoming visit of the Imperial family to Manila. Ambassador Lopez recently launched the book History and Heritage of the Kudan: The Official Residence of the Philippine Ambassador to Japan (it is featured in “This Week on PeopleAsia” at the Allure section of the STAR today). Seventy years after the war, our relationship with Japan has reached its highest point. In fact, I told the Japanese Ambassador, Kazuhide Ishikawa, that Japan is now the most preferred tourist destination for many Filipinos.
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