GMA-Bush Secret Pact Seen to Restore U.S. Bases in Philippines
Groups urge Macapagal-Arroyo's impeachment

Did President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ink a secret deal with U.S. President George W. Bush in her recent state visit in Washington that would pave the way for the re-establishment of U.S. military bases in the country? Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, who earlier disclosed Macapagal-Arroyo's support to grant immunity from prosecution of U.S. forces, believes so and is set to deliver a privileged speech in the House this week.

By Gerry Albert Corpuz
Bulatlat.com  

Subic Naval Base in Olongapo City north of Manila at the height of the 1991 Gulf War.

Bayan Muna (People First) party list Rep. Satur Ocampo is set to deliver a privileged speech this week against the possible return of American military bases in the country.

The activist congressman, who hails from Pampanga, earlier said the possible re-establishment of the U.S. bases in the country and the immunity granted to U.S. troops from prosecution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) were part of the  "strings attached to Washington's (comprehensive) military aid worth $356 million."       

In a press statement e-mailed to Bulatlat.com, Ocampo charged President Macapagal-Arroyo of single-handedly paving the way for the return of U.S. forces in the country under the mantra of anti-terrorism.

"It would have to take more than just a denial to convince that she indeed is not U.S. girl scout," the militant solon.

The Bayan Muna congressman cited recent revelations by a Pentagon official that the U.S. was considering to redeploy its 20,000 Marines in Okinawa, Japan to new bases in other countries including the Philippines. "It seems evident that allowing U.S. troop basing here was the ultimate prize for the millions of dollars in military aid from Mrs. Arroyo's recent trip," he said.

On Sept. 16, 1991, the Philippine Senate, under pressure by anti-bases groups, rejected the proposed RP-U.S. bases treaty that led to the removal of U.S. military facilities in the  country the following year. Demands for the dismantling of the U.S. military bases - used for several decades to fight America's wars in Asia and elsewhere - soared prior to the declaration of martial law in 1972 and was one of the rallying issues against the U.S.-backed Marcos dictatorship.

Broad realignment

A report from the Los Angeles Times last week quoted several senior U.S. officials saying that Pentagon was planning a broad realignment of troops in Asia that may involve the moving out of U.S. troops based in Japan and establishing a network of small bases among potential host countries like Australia and Malaysia. This is part of the U.S. strategy to reposition its forces near areas which Washington and Pentagon described as breeding grounds for terrorists, it was also reported.

But the "war on terror" has been denounced by militant groups and other critics as only a façade for inserting U.S. forces far and wide, toppling governments that are seen as unfriendly to American interests and deterring "threats" from its perceived peer competitors more particularly China.

The Philippines has been highly considered for the basing of American ground troops that could enable the U.S. forces to move quickly and clandestinely in response to future conflicts that may engage the U.S. troops in Central Asia and other parts of the wide Asian continent.

Democrat and Republican

As the controversy on the reported repositioning of American forces outside the U.S. mainland became an issue for the day, two U.S. senators visiting Manila last week urged Pentagon officials to review their country's deployment. 

Both Sens. Jack Reed (Democrat) and Chuck Hagel (Republican) expressed the need to reassess the U.S. force structure and deployment of force structure in the midst of growing threats of terrorism in and out of the United States.

Reed, a member of the U.S. Senate armed service panel, said: "Given the nature of warfare today, the technology we have and the skill of our fighting forces, the old structure of coast and navy bases has to be reevaluated, is being reevaluated not just here in Asia but also in Europe." 

Ocampo, meanwhile, said the repositioning of U.S. forces in Okinawa (Japan) and Seoul (South Korea) was part of the U.S. adjustment following the growing resentment against the presence of the U.S. troops in both countries.

"The U.S. and the Philippine governments should not underestimate the capability of the Filipinos to resist and rise against U.S. military basing in the country they had valiantly done so in 1991," the militant solon said.

Immunity

Ocampo's political associates in Bayan Muna, Reps. Crispin Beltran and Liza Maza, backed his challenge to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to disclose fully her commitments to U.S. President Georgw W. Bush during her state visit in Washington.

Beltran and Maza re-echoed the demand amid reports that the Philippine government inked a secret deal with the U.S. granting American troops immunity from prosecution of the International Criminal Court for war crimes and other atrocities.

The signing of the secret pact was reportedly done on May 13, five days before Macapagal-Arroyo's state visit to U.S. on May 18-24, reports said. The militant party list group said the pact was done as a gift to Bush during Macapagal-Arroyo's week-long state visit in Washington.

Cross party lines

Meanwhile, the militant worker-peasant group Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) also supported militant groups' call for legislators to summon the president to a joint Senate-House inquiry regarding the alleged signing of the immunity agreement between Bush and Macapagal-Arroyo.

"We fully subscribe to Bayan Muna's assertion that Malacañang violated several concerns including but not limited to constitutional concerns and legislative procedures," Anakpawis chair Rafael Mariano said in a statement. "Mrs. Arroyo's secret and clandestine move to pass this shotgun piece of diplomatic agreement was a superb betrayal of public trust and national interest of the people."

Mariano urged legislators to cross party lines and open a national inquiry that would compel Macapagal-Arroyo to explain why such an act was done against the highest interest of 80 million Filipino people.

"Ms. Macapagal should face the nation for assuring U.S. war freaks the license to terrorize and kill the people. In fact her act constitutes a gross violation of people's sovereign and constitutional rights and therefore could send her finally to the impeachment court," the militant leader added.

The fisherfolk group Pamalakaya (National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines), on the other hand, asked the 90-member-nation ICC to file diplomatic protest against the Manila government for the latter's decision to spare U.S. troops from ICC's prosecution.

"The Philippine government did not only undermine the ICC, it gravely insulted the collective intelligence and political will of nations to uphold justice and human rights in times of peace and war and in accordance with the generally-accepted international humanitarian laws," the group said.

Pamalakaya reminded President Arroyo that it was not in the national interest of the Filipino people to protect U.S. troops from prosecution and tolerate their criminal activities and escapades in the country and other nations wary of American soldiers propensity to kill and destroy human lives and communities.

The fisherfolk group said: "The choice is clear. Recall the agreement with the U.S. and maintain strong diplomatic ties with over 90 countries upholding justice, human rights and fraternal relations. Why settle for the criminal Bush administration in the first place? Only the likes of Ms Macapagal could swallow a political flirtation with the real Pentagon gang based in Washington D.C." Bulatlat.com

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