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By Erick San Juan

“IT is a military basing agreement.”

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This is the statement that the petitioners, as well as the opposition to the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), had strongly emphasized in their arguments on what Edca is all about.

After two days on the oral arguments at the Supreme Court and a day (Dec. 1) at the Senate hearing with Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, head of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, for and against Edca were heard.

The Supreme Court gave both camps 20 days to file their respective memoranda while Sen. Santiago said she would ask her colleagues to adopt a resolution that will express the view that the agreement needs concurrence. She said the Senate is left with the option to express its sense on the Edca since the Palace has considered the agreement enforced even without Senate concurrence. She added that the Senate resolution will be able to manifest before the Supreme Court on what are the attitudes of the Senate as a collective chamber and it will also convey to the President the sense of commitment of various senators to the Edca.

For whatever its worth, the Supreme Court and the Senate are doing their jobs in order to find a solution to this ever controversial “agreement.” Although we have to be wary because in these exciting times wherein a regional conflict might end up in a “global revolution” (a.k.a. global war), in the process, our country and its citizenry will be used again as Uncle Sam’s cannon fodder.

It is not an assurance that the supposed “agreed locations” for US troops and materiel and other military hardware in our territory will serve as a deterrent especially against China. As I have written in many of my articles and have discussed on my daily radio program, the US military presence here with its increased troops in rotational basis will serve as a “lightning rod” and a magnet that will attract US enemies. Remember that we are located strategically and that is very much convenient for the American troops in case of a crisis. But what about us? What’s in it for us?

The point raised by Dean Merlin Magallona is a point to ponder by those who will decide on the constitutionality of Edca. Dean Magallona said that the argument of the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States is an implementing agreement of the Visiting Forces Agreement, which is also the implementing agreement of the Mutual Defense Treaty is an “absurdity.”

“An Implementing treaty of an implementing treaty of an implementing treaty is an absurdity,” said Merlin Magallona, former dean of the University of the Philippines’ College of Law, at the Senate hearing on Edca.

He also argued that there is a clear “discontinuity” between Edca and MDT, particularly after the expiration in 1991 of the Military Bases Agreement between the two countries. (InterAksyon.com)

The mere fact that the VFA through the MDT has already put the whole country in the crosshairs, do we have to add another agreement and this time around will actually put the whole archipelago as Uncle Sam’s military base? And the worst thing is, in spite of these agreements, we were never treated as an ally nor a real friend in this part of the region compared to Japan and South Korea. Even Acting Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said that there is no guarantee (via Edca) that the US will help the Philippines if ever the territorial disputes will escalate into a shooting war.

As I always say, we are not anti-American and not all Americans are bad. There are only some (under the influence of the globalists) who are greedy and always think of themselves and treat their allies as slaves.

Yes, there was a vacuum when the US bases left Clark and Subic but who’s fault? We rejected the bases in disguise without an assurance that nobody can bully us or at least we really have an MBA (May Backer Ako) who can protect us in case of threat and aggression.

Now we are being bullied by China and we still believe that big brother will help us. We seem so helpless.

What if China and the US elites are conniving to create a situation? Especially now that US owed China not only $1trillion but trillions of dollars. Despite the lost of pro-Beijing group in the recent Taiwan elections. In spite of China’s former army Gen. Liu Jingsong warning that China would not be afraid to use force to resolve the Taiwan issue, both Taiwan and the Philippines should be wary of the global financial crisis coming where these giants will surely look for new enemies to unite their angry nationals.

The pattern of “painting in the west and fighting in the east” is in the offing. Be vigilant!

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