'Nuclear cooperation,' bagong EDCA sites laman ng pagbisita ng US vice president
MANILA, Philippines — Inanunsyo ng White House na nakapagtukoy na ang Estados Unidos ng mga karagdagang lugar para sa pasilidad ng Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sa loob ng base militar ng Pilipinas, maliban sa pagsisimula ng "export ng nuclear equipment" sa bansa.
Ito ang ibinahagi ng isang senior administration official ng White House tungkol sa dalawang "bilateral meetings" ni US Vice President Kamala Harris kina Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos at Bise Presidente Sara Duterte ngayong Lunes.
"I would say, this visit is about strengthening our bilateral relationship with the Philippines in recognition of our long history as friends, allies, and partners," wika ng opisyal sa isang teleconference.
"First, on security, you can expect the vice president to reaffirm the strength of the alliance and our commitment to upholding the international rules-based order in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific."
Tumutukoy ang EDCA sa kasunduan sa pagitan ng Amerika at Pilipinas na magpaikot ng sundalong Kano sa bansa nang matagal, maliban sa pagbibigay pahintulot sa Amerikang magtayo at magpatakbo ng mga pasilidad sa loob ng base militar ng Pilipinas.
Ito'y kahit hindi pinapayagan ang pagtatayo ng mga permanenteng military bases ang Amerika sa bansa.
Dagdag pa rito, ididiin ni Harris ang defense commitments sa pagitan ng mga bansa alinsunod sa Mutual Defense Treaty. Ire-reaffirm din ang pagsuporta ng Washington sa 2016 UN arbitral ruling pabor sa Pilipinas na nagbasura sa expansive maritime claims ng Tsina.
"And EDCA provides the legal basis for our military to operate in agreed locations in the Philippines on a rotational basis. And there are currently five EDCA locations. And we’re announcing now that we have identified new locations to deepen our work together,"
"This will allow for more security cooperation exercises, combined training activities, and it will allow us to respond to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance needs."
Binabatikos ng mga progresibong grupo ang EDCA lalo na't tila nagsisilbi raw itong mga base militar ng Amerika sa Pilipinas, bagay na bakas pa rin daw ng pananakop at pagkontrol ng US sa Maynila kahit "malaya" na ito dapat.
Pero depensa ng Washington, makikinabang dito ang dalawang panig at may kaakibat na "economic benefits" sa Pilipinas sa porma ng $82 milyon para sa pagpapatupad ng EDCA sa existing sites. Nangyayari ito sa gitna ng agawan ng Tsina at Pilipinas sa West Philippine Sea.
Nuclear agreement?
Iaanunsyo rin ni Harris sa mga naturang pulong ang 123 Agreement, na siyang magpapahintulot sa "civil nuclear cooperation" sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa.
"And, once in force, this agreement will allow US companies to export nuclear equipment, creating significant new commercial opportunities for our private sector," dagdag pa ng opisyal.
"And, of course, this will also help the Philippines develop its energy security and transition to clean energy."
Paliwanag ng senior admnistration official, ito raw ang magiging legal basis ng Estados Unidos para matiyak na hindi kakalat ang nuclear weapons. Magagamit din daw ito para maitulak ang civil nuclear energy cooperation na "importante" para sa climate regions sa Pilipinas.
Sinasabi ito ng Amerika kahit na ito ang unang bansang nagmanupaktura ng nuclear weapons, na siyang nagamit nila sa pagbomba ng Hiroshina at Nagasaki sa Japan noong World War II.
Tinututulan nang maraming grupo ang pagbabalik ng Bataan Nuclear Power Plant lalo na't nakatayo ito malapit sa ilang bulkan at fault lines, na nakikitang delikado ng ilan.
'De facto US military bases'
Biyernes lang nang kastiguhin ng Bayan Muna party-list ang noo'y napipintong pagbisita ni Harris sa Pilipinas, bagay na pinoprotesta ngayon ng mga aktibista sa iba't ibang panig ng bansa ngayong araw.
"With the current Philippine administration having decided to implement the 2014 [EDCA] starting next year by completing the construction of the first five agreed locations of US military facilities inside Philippine bases, Bayan Muna cautions against haste in identifying and approving additional locations," ani Bayan Muna president Satur Ocampo.
"The government must first monitor how the US utilizes its facilities, assess how these complies with the EDCA and impacts on Philippine sovereignty and independence and on our people's security and welfare before deciding to designate and approve additional locations."
KAMALA NOT WELCOME!
— International League of Peoples' Struggle (@ILPS_Official) November 21, 2022
ILPS Philippines joined today’s protest in time for US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to the country this November 20-22.
US TROOPS OUT NOW!
DOWN WITH US IMPERIALISM!
(1/2) pic.twitter.com/X0sLwapWXG
Today, we declare that US VP Kamala Harris or any other representative of the imperialist USA is NOT welcome in the Philippines. We say no to any more violence committed by US soldiers in the Philippine, and no to unjust wars in the name of imperialist dominance and profit!
— GABRIELA | A National Alliance of Women (@gabrielaphils) November 21, 2022
Kabilang sa limang EDCA sites na meron na sa Pilipinas ang:
- Cesar Basa Air Base (Pampanga)
- Fort Magsaysay (Nueva Ecija)
- Lumbia Air Base (Cagayan de Oro)
- Benito Ebuen Air Base (Cebu)
- Antonio Bautista Air Base (Palawan)
Ilan sa mga nakikitang bagong "target sites" ay sa Cagayan (2), maliban pa sa Palawan, Zambales at Isabela, ayon kay Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, bagay na posible raw simulan sa 2023.
"These sites are supposedly not to be used as military bases by the US but they will preposition military equipment and ammunition. Filipinos are also barred to enter these US facilities. So in effect they are de facto military bases," sabi pa ni Ocampo.
"These continued expansion of EDCA sites will make the Philippines as a big military launching pad for the US and its hegemonic policies. They will also place the country in a dangerous and perilous situation as they may become potential targets of missile attacks by China should the situation in contention with the US escalate."
- Latest
