The impending verdict in the trial of four U.S. servicemen for the alleged rape of “Nicole” should be an occasion to reflect on how defense agreements with the U.S. infringe on the country’s sovereignty.

BY IBON FOUNDATION
Posted by Bulatlat

The impending verdict in the trial of four U.S. servicemen for the alleged rape of “Nicole” should be an occasion to reflect on how defense agreements with U.S. infringe on the country’s sovereignty.

According to IBON research director Antonio Tujan, U.S.-RP defense agreements such as the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Mutual Logistics and Support Agreement threaten Philippine autonomy since they allow U.S. soldiers to get away with crimes committed on local soil, among others.

He cited Article V that allows U.S. servicemen who have committed a crime to remain under the custody of the U.S. embassy or U.S. authorities, as well as calling for a one-year deadline to finish proceedings against soldiers accused of a crime.

Tujan also pointed out that the VFA, a form of Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), has become controversial in countries with U.S. bases such as Japan. He cited the Japanese-American SOFA which American authorities use to shield accused soldiers from Japanese law.

Tujan also cited figures in a petition issued by Okinawa governor Keiichi Inamine for the renegotiation of the SOFA, which revealed that from 1972 to 2002, U.S. troops, Pentagon civilians and military dependents had committed 5,157 crimes, of which 533 were major crimes like murder and rape. Okinawa supports roughly 75 percent of all U.S. troops in Japan.

He also pointed out that the Philippines is further promoting U.S. interests in the region by pushing to complete an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Convention on Counter-terrorism in the upcoming 12th Summit in December, which the country is hosting as this year’s ASEAN chair. The U.S. could use such a convention to justify intensified military presence in the Southeast Asian region, which it considers as a “front line” in its “War on Terror”.

Hence, Tujan called for the abrogation of the VFA and other unequal RP-U.S. defense agreements in order to defend the country’s sovereignty and its independence.

He added that an international network of research NGOs is organizing a conference to discuss the issues arising from U.S. military presence in Southeast Asia. The Asia-Pacific Research Network, of which Tujan chairs, will hold the Conference on U.S. Militarism and the War on Terror in the Asia Pacific on December 9-10 in Cebu. Ibon Foundation/posted by Bulatlat

 IBON Foundation, Inc. is an independent development institution established in 1978 that provides research, education, publications, information work and advocacy support on socioeconomic issues.

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