South China Sea kapag inatake
SOS NG US ‘TINIYAK’

SASAKLOLO ang Amerika sa tropa ng Filipinas kapag inatake sa South China Sea alinsunod sa nakasaad sa US-PH mutual defense treaty.

Muli itong tiniyak ni US Vice President Kamala Harris sa kanyang courtesy call kay Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., Sa Malacañang kahapon.

“We are both proud members of the Indo-Pacific and in particular as it relates to the Philippines. I will say that we must reiterate always that we stand with you in defense of international rules and norms as it relates to the South China Sea… An armed attack on the Philippine Armed Forces public vessels or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defense commitments,” sabi ni Harris.

Subok na at maasahan aniya ang relasyon ng Filipinas at Estados Unidos.

“And that is an unwavering commitment that we have to the Philippines,” dagdag niya.

Umaasa aniya ang Amerika na sa ilalim ng liderato ni FM Jr., ay lalong magiging matibay at matatag ang relasyon ng dalawang bansa.

“We look forward to working with you on many of these issues and I of course bring you greetings from President Joe Biden.”

Sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos, sa mabilis na mga pangyayari, kailangan makaagapay para sumulong nang maayos at maging lalong matatag ang relasyon ng Filipinas sa US.

Muling binigyang diin ni FM Jr., hindi niya nakikita ang kinabukasan ng Filipinas na hindi kasama ang US.

“Your visit is a very strong symbol that these relationships remain strong, that these relationships remain important as indeed they do. The Filipino, I have said many times, I do not see a future for the Philippines that does not include the United States,” anang pangulo kay US VP Harris.

“Of course we went through different phases of relationship, but as since the war it’s just been strengthened in every way in the economic sense, in the political sense, defense security. I cannot think of an area where we have not cooperated, collaborated and have had good results for both our countries,” ani FM Jr.

Magtutungo ngayon si Harris sa Puerto Princesa, Palawan, ang lalawigan na pinakamalapit sa South China Sea at sasakay sa isang barko ng Philippine Coast Guard para sa isang programa.

Sa kanyang pakikipagharap sa mga kababaihan sa Pasay City, hinimok niya na isulong at ipaglaban ang karapatang pantao.

Kaugnay nito, naniniwala ang human rights group Karapatan na ang pangunahing agenda ni Harris ay pagpapalakas ng kasunduang pangseguridad sa ilalim ng  Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) na nagpapahintulot sa US na italaga ang ang kanilang mga tropa, armas at logistics sa mga pasilidad ng Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) bilang “quasi-bases” para sa Amerika. 

               Anang grupo, bago pa dumating sa bansa si Harris ay isiniwalat na ng ilang opisyal ng US ang balak na magdagdag ng limang military facilities sa listahan ng “five quasi-bases” bilang paghahanda sa pinaigting na deployment ng mga tropang Amerikano at mga barko sa Asia-Pacific region.

“In exchange, the US has pledged an additional $100 million in military aid to the Marcos II regime, which will surely be used to buttress counter-insurgency and “counter-terrorist” operations that can only spell more human rights violations against the Filipino people,” ayon kay Karapatan secretary-general Tinay Palabay. (ROSE NOVENARIO)