“The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is BS Aquino’s ex-deal for an increased US military assistance at the expense of our nation’s sovereignty,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, said today as they supported groups which filed the motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court’s decision stating that EDCA is constitutional.
“The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is BS Aquino’s ex-deal for an increased US military assistance at the expense of our nation’s sovereignty,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, said today as they supported groups which filed the motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court’s decision stating that EDCA is constitutional.
The newly signed EDCA ensures the increased and permanent presence of US military troops, on any ‘agreed locations’ in the Philippines “which is basically everywhere,” Palabay said. It will also allow the transport and storage of US war materiel in Philippine territories.
“Last November 2015, the US government has increased its military assistance to $79M for the Armed Forces of the Philippines through a program called ‘maritime initiative’ in the Asia Pacific with the China-Philippines territorial dispute as justification,” Palabay said.
“To further increase Philippine military budget, the US Congress, in January, is attempting to remove the condition of adherence to human rights as basis of the US government’s Foreign Military Financing (FMF),” Palabay said. Since 2008, due to the escalating human rights violations, specifically the extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture, the US Congress reduced its annual FMF to the Philippines.
Before the US FMF could again provide assistance to the Philippine military, the US Congress imposed conditions such as the investigation and prosecution of soldiers who have committed, or aided or abetted, extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances, and other gross violations of human rights; implementation of a policy that promotes soldiers who show professionalism and respect for human rights; and, ensuring that the military and paramilitary groups under its control are not engaged in acts of intimidation or violence against journalists or human rights defenders.
“It seemed that these conditions were overwritten by the signing of the EDCA. Obviously, none of these conditions have been met, yet full military aid to the Philippines is now back,” Palabay said.
“The human rights violations have intensified, especially against the peoples of Mindanao. Of the 305 extrajudicial killings (data as of November 2015), 143 were committed in in Mindanao, 68 of them are Lumad. Trumped-up criminal cases have been lodged against leaders of peoples’ organizations, teachers in Lumad schools, and human rights workers. Thousands evacuated from their communities due to intensified military operations that resulted in numerous rights violations,” Palabay said.
“The Visiting Forces Agreement was already in itself a violation of the Filipino’s right to national sovereignty. The EDCA, which expands the power of the US military troops for basing, storage, and transport of war materiel in our territories, finally wipes out any trace of our sovereignty. The VFA has caused the death of Jennifer Laude, the rape of “Nicole”, and many other atrocities. EDCA, we fear, gives license to more rights violations. The EDCA should be terminated, no less,” Palabay concluded.