As the nation commemorates the 124th anniversary of the beginning of the Philippine-American War, House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro on Saturday criticized the settlement between the Philippines and the United States to speed up the the complete 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 mentioned in a speech.
(General Luna could begin cursing in anger and the guerrilla spirit of native heroes and the Tinio Brigade could also be roused ought to they discover out that these they expelled have returned to their provinces.)
Castro warned that the Philippine authorities shouldn’t anticipate the United States intentions to be pure, because it allegedly goals to keep up its dominance within the Asia Pacific area.
Castro mentioned that below the EDCA, the armed forces of the United States can be positioned within the agreed areas 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 mentioned.
(Four websites can be added which comes with a nuclear menace introduced by the 123 settlement which supposedly goals to make our nation appear to be an enormous 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 anticipate them to have pure intentions, simply as General Luna didn’t belief them of their supposed benevolent assimilation. Let us engrave in our reminiscences what they began, and proceed the criticisms on colonization and continued interference by the United States.)
Additional 4 new websites have been designated in strategic areas of the nation below the EDCA settlement.
According to the Department of National Defense (DND) on Thursday, these new EDCA areas will enable extra fast help for humanitarian and climate-related disasters within the Philippines and different shared challenges.
Meanwhile, Senator Jinggoy Estrada believed that EDCA improved the AFP’s protection 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 settlement shouldn’t be directed in direction of any nation because the EDCA websites are primarily earmarked for humanitarian help and catastrophe response services, and it’s a 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 mentioned. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
