‘US military presence poses nuclear peril’

Some time ago, a distinguished patriot, someone I am proud to call a friend and noble kababayan, marked his 90th birthday and showed us all that a long life may diminish certain of our powers, but only deepens wisdom and affirms the strength of experience.

I refer to Wigberto E. Tañada, a worthy champion of the people’s democratic interests and fighter for sovereignty and national pride.

It was on Sept. 16, 1991, that the Philippine Senate rejected the proposed extension of American military bases stay in the country under the 1947 RP-US Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security. It was a narrow vote – 12-11 – defeating a strong push for a 10-year extension by president Corazon C. Aquino, via a national referendum.

Low-key but unyielding, Bobby Tañada was among the group of senators called the “Magnificent 12” that won the showdown to end the decades-long stay of foreign bases here. I was then a political detainee in Fort Bonifacio, watching the historic moment unfold on television. I saw, egging on the group from the gallery, Bobby’s father Lorenzo – for 24 years a senator, then aged 91, the icon of the anti-dictatorship movement known to all as Ka Tanny. As the voting ended, Ka Tanny stood up from his wheelchair and raised his fist in celebration of victory. It had been an unrelenting struggle he himself had waged, together with his fellow statesman Claro M. Recto (who died much earlier, in 1960).

The debate in the Senate was carried out in the context of the 1987 Constitution’s Section 25, which explicitly provides:

“After the expiration in 1991 of the Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning Military Bases, foreign military bases, troops or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred by the Senate and, when the Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that purpose and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State.”

Interviewed in time for his birthday last Aug. 13, Bobby Tañada exhibited the same mettle that has stamped his career in the public service. Speaking with veteran journalist Joel Paredes of the Business Mirror, he was asked what he thought of the installation by the US military of its own facilities within Philippine military bases, as allowed under the 2004 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). Bobby asserted: there is no valid reason for the US to establish new basing arrangements with the Philippines.

When the EDCA was signed as an executive agreement by the Philippines and the US panels, Bobby filed a petition before the Supreme Court questioning its constitutionality. Progressive groups and organizations likewise filed parallel petitions. However, on the ground that it wasn’t a treaty requiring the Senate’s concurrence, the high tribunal upheld the EDCA agreement.

Reacting to China’s ever-increasing intrusive maneuvers in the West Philippine Sea, Bobby categorically declared: “Bullying ang ginagawa ng China.” We must be firm and tell the Chinese authorities that their actions threaten regional peace and development: “Kailangang sabihin na sa kanila na kung ipagpapatuloy nila ang kagagawang iyan, hindi ito mauuwi as kapayapaan at kaunlaran.”

Ever polite but unwavering, Bobby allowed for the possibility that the leaders of China would come to their senses and change their tack. “Sana matauhan na ang mga namumuno sa Tsina, na yung kanilang ginagawang pambu-bully, pagsasamantala at panlalamang ay maling-mali at dapat nang ihinto at panagutan.”

But still, he doesn’t agree that China’s aggressive acts should serve as an excuse for “reviving America’s heavy military presence in the country,” warning that it would be a perilous step as it would lead to the introduction into the country of nuclear weapons.

“Pag may foreign military bases tayo,” he pointed out, “sa atin makikita ang paglalagay nag mga nuclear weapons… Nakita na natin na iyon ay malaking peligro sa sambayanang Pilipino.”

Will nuclear weapons be surreptitiously introduced or “rotated” in the Philippines as part of the modern war equipment that the militarists are so eager to lay their trigger fingers on? How are we going to know?

Shifting to another source of concern, Bobby noted that the country’s “fragile democracy and civilian authority” are seriously endangered as shown by the continuing incidences of human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings and torture of civilians.

“Nabalik na nga iyong democratic rights and processes pero kulang pa rin. May naabot na tayong pag-unlad pero kulang pa rin,” lamented the human rights lawyer.

The “elitist and very slow pace of governance” we have today results, he said, from “too much politics.” “Ang isinusulong ay yung interes ng sarili at ng partido nila.”

Looking forward, Bobby Tañada expressed optimism that the people and the country’s current leaders would first seek to fulfil their given tasks, wryly adding, “which are not really enough.”

“Sana makapasok din sa ating isipan at damdamin ang pagtutulungan at pagkakaisa sa lahat ng magagawa para sa ating bayan.” Also at the top of his wish list is this forthright statement: “Sana makitaan natin si Pangulong Marcos ng tapat na pag-ibig sa bayan.” Sincere love of country and people are what we want to see in the current President.

Asserting that the Filipino people’s fight for freedom, justice, democracy and human rights is not yet over, Bobby also expressed disappointment that those who have committed “sins against the country and people” have yet to be punished.

“Ang dami pang dapat gawin na hindi nagagawa. Nakikita ko yung mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao, pagsasamantala sa interes ng mga mahihirap. Ang pagyurak sa maraming mga karapatan ng mamamayan ay nagpapatuloy.”

No, the fight is not over yet. “Humina man ang aking isipan, marami man akong nakakalimutan,” says Bobby, “pero matindi at maliwanag pa rin sa aking pagtaya na tuloy ang laban dahil di pa natin nakakamit ‘yung ating mga ipinaglaban nung nakaraang mga taon.”