Solon slams EDCA deal on 124th commemoration of Philippine-American War

As the country commemorates the 124th anniversary of the start of the Philippine-American War, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro on Saturday criticized the agreement between the Philippines and the United States to accelerate the the full implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

“Maaring mapamura sa galit si Heneral [Antonio] Luna at umalab muli ang guerillang diwa ng Tinio Brigade at ng mga bayaning lumad kung malalaman nilang nagbalik sa kanilang mga probinsya ang noo’y kanilang pinalayas,” ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said in a speech.

(General Luna may start cursing in anger and the guerrilla spirit of local heroes and the Tinio Brigade may be roused should they find out that those they expelled have returned to their provinces.)

Castro warned that the Philippine government should not expect the United States intentions to be pure, as it allegedly aims to maintain its dominance in the Asia Pacific region.

Castro said that under the EDCA, the armed forces of the United States will be positioned in the agreed locations of Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, and Basa Air Base in Pampanga.

“Madadagdagan pa ito ng apat na lugar na may kasama pang bantang nukleyar na dala ng 123 agreement na gagawing tila higanteng laboratoryo ang ating bansa para sa testing ng armas nukleyar,” Castro said.

(Four sites will be added which comes with a nuclear threat brought by the 123 agreement which supposedly aims to make our country look like a giant laboratory for testing nuclear weapons.)

“Huwag tayong umasa na busilak ang kanilang hangarin, gaya ng hindi pagtiwala nila Heneral Luna noon sa kunwaring benevolent assimilation ng Estados Unidos. Iukit natin sa ating mga alaala ang kanilang nasimulan, at ipagpapatuloy ang kritikal na pagpuna sa paglaban sa pagkolonya at patuloy na panghihimasok ng Estados Unidos.”

(Let's not expect them to have pure intentions, just as General Luna did not trust them in their supposed benevolent assimilation. Let us engrave in our memories what they started, and continue the criticisms on colonization and continued interference by the United States.)

Additional four new sites have been designated in strategic areas of the country under the EDCA agreement.

According to the Department of National Defense (DND) on Thursday, these new EDCA locations will allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate-related disasters in the Philippines and other shared challenges.

Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada believed that EDCA improved the AFP's defense capabilities.

“The United States has always been our government’s ally on matters concerning territorial disputes and EDCA aims to boost our AFP’s defense capabilities in asserting regional territorial claims," Senator Jinggoy Estrada said in a statement.

"While it is seen as directed at enhancing the PH-US security alliance, which is one of the longest military alliances in the world, I trust that whatever possible repercussions had been carefully studied by officials from the Executive.”

According to Estrada, the agreement is not directed towards any country as the EDCA sites are primarily earmarked for humanitarian assistance and disaster response facilities, and it is part of the modernization efforts of the AFP.

“These efforts of our government, I believe, are aligned with the President’s pronouncements in his first SONA where he said that he intends to chart an independent foreign policy with the national interest as a primordial guide – a country that is a friend to all and an enemy to none,” Estrada said. — DVM, GMA Integrated News