By Perry Diaz
Subic Naval Base
The prospect of North Korea starting a war with the United States, South Korea, and Japan has a chilling effect in the Philippines. With no defense mechanism of her own to defend her territory, the Philippines is like a house with no roof… and a storm is coming!
This analogy brings to fore the true state of the Philippines’ national security. If China or North Korea attacked the country, the Philippines has no way of defending her territory. The country’s Air Force doesn’t have warplanes to protect air space and the Navy doesn’t have warships to stop an assault from the sea. And should the invader fire ballistic missiles targeting Metro Manila and other cities, tens of thousands of people would perish. That… is the grim reality.
But, fortunately, there exists a Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States, signed in 1951, which obligates each party to defend the other in the event of war or hostility with another country.
U.S.-North Korea war
Intermediate-range missiles
If North Korea makes good her threat to launch ballistic missiles – possibly with nuclear warheads – against the U.S., South Korea or Japan, the MDT kicks in and the Philippines goes to war. But how can the Philippines whose armed forces mostly consist of a poorly equipped army, an Air Force with vintage helicopters, and a Navy with coast guard cutters, help the U.S.?
Well, the U.S. doesn’t really need these. She has more than enough firepower to obliterate North Korea. But what the U.S. needs is forward operating bases and logistical and supply centers. With the former Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base still basically intact, their proximity to the war zone would help the U.S. move her forces a lot faster.
Mutual Defense Treaty
It did not then come as a surprise when Philippine Secretary of Defense Voltaire Gazmin told the media last April 12 that the Philippine government was prepared to undertake “extreme measures,” which include allowing U.S. bases on Philippine soil in the event of an “extreme emergency” on the Korean peninsula.
The following day, the media asked Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario whether the Philippines would allow the U.S. to station troops on Philippine territory if war broke out between the U.S. and North Korea. He piggybacked on Gazmin’s statement and offered to allow the United States to station forces at military bases in the Philippines in the event war breaks out. Del Rosario cited the MDT, saying: “Our mutual defense treaty calls for joint action if either the Philippines or the United States is attacked.” “It would then be logical to assume that in the event of an attack on the Philippines or on our treaty ally, the US would be allowed to use our bases,” he added.
The next day, April 14, Malacañang ambiguously softened the government’s stance vis-à-vis the Gazmin and Del Rosario pronouncements. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the Aquino administration was not looking at the possible return of American bases in the country and emphasized that Gazmin mentioned such a possibility only “in case of an extreme emergency.” And to further negate Gazmin’s statement, Valte said,“The secretary was talking about a scenario and that is part of his job as secretary of national defense to look at all possible outcomes, especially in matters related to national defense.”
Then on April 15, presidential spokesperson – Valte’s boss – Edwin Lacierda held a press conference and weighed in, saying: “That has to be studied in line with the constitutional provision prohibiting foreign bases. Again, these are only options.” And not to embarrass Gazmin in public, Lacierda went to the extent of saying, “These are scenario-building options that the secretary of national defense [Gazmin] is mandated to do. Part of his mandate is to build, to look into several options, several scenarios, in case of conflict, if the Korean peninsula conflict would escalate.”
In one clean swoop, Lacierda cleared the board of all unofficial talks about stationing U.S. bases and troops on Philippine territory. It’s back to square one. Well, what else is new?
Philippine Senate votes to close Subic Naval Base
What is at issue is a provision of the 1987 Constitution prohibiting foreign bases on Philippine soil. At that time the U.S. maintained several military bases including the humongous Clark Air Base and the strategically located Subic Naval Base. In an attempt to extend the Subic Naval Base’s lease, then-President Cory Aquino called for a national referendum on Subic’s future. That did not happen.
On September 16, 1991, The Philippine Senate voted 12-11 to reject a new treaty that would have allowed Subic Naval Bases to remain for another 10 years. The current treaty had expired that day. At that time, Clark Air Base was already closed due to the devastating volcanic eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. Thus, American military presence in the country, which had lasted almost a century, came to an end.
Chinese expansionism
In my article, “China’s ‘gunboat diplomacy’ ” (July 19, 2012), I wrote: “It is interesting to note that in 1994, two years after the Philippine Senate evicted American military bases from the country; China started her “creeping invasion” of Philippine territory in the disputed Spratly archipelago. While the Philippine Navy was not patrolling the area around the Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, 130 miles away from Palawan, due to the monsoon season, Chinese troops occupied the reef and initially built structures on stilt. But other than lodging diplomatic protests against the incursion, the Philippine government couldn’t do much. Today, the Panganiban Reef is fortified with permanent buildings and naval guns. China also delineated a prohibited area within 60 miles of the reef.
Chinese plants flag on Scarborough Shoal
“Last June, after more than two months of standoff, Chinese gunboats effectively took de facto possession of the Panatag Shoal when they prevented a Philippine Coast Guard vessel and fishing boats from entering the lagoon inside the shoal.
“Several weeks ago, China demanded that the Philippine government dismantle an elementary school on Pagasa Island in the Kalayaan group of islands in the Spratly archipelago.
“Last July 4, the Philippines protested China’s move that virtually placed the entire West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) including the Macclesfield Bank under the jurisdiction of a newly created city, Sansha. Macclesfield Bank is strategically located east of the Paracel Islands. It is claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Evidently, China’s action seems to signal that she is increasingly solidifying her position on all the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea.”
US flag lowered and Philippine flag raised during turnover ceremony at Subic
The departure of the Americans from the Philippines left a huge power vacuum in the region, which gave China an opportunity to fill it. And filled she did.
Without any means to stop Chinese expansionism, a lot of Filipinos wonder when would China start grabbing undisputed Philippine territory? In the face of such threat, there is a groundswell building up for the return of the U.S. bases. Many people have urged the Philippine Congress to call for a referendum to remove the provision prohibiting foreign bases on Philippine soil. And time is running out!
Our leaders should – nay, must! – realize that they can’t have it both ways. It’s either they allow American bases to return or abrogate the Mutual Defense Treaty. They can’t have their cake and eat it too.
No comments:
Post a Comment