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News ReleaseMay 2, 2014

Reference: Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, 09178350459

BAYAN MUNA: THE US WILL NOT DEFEND THE PHILIPPINES FROM CHINESE AGGRESSIONSays the Aquino admin is fooling the Filipino people  Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares dismissed the claim of the Aquino government that the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal are covered by the Mutual Defense Treaty by virtue of a mere note verbale as an attempt to delude the people that the US is bound to defend the Philippines from Chinese aggression even if Pres. Barack Obama has categorically declared that the US will not intervene.   “Pres. Obama has publicly declared that the US will not defend the Philippines against China.  Now the Aquino administration is backpedalling to the Mutual Defense Treaty to save face by assuring the people that the US, through a mere note verbale, will come to our aid under the treaty even if the Spratlys and Scarborough shoal are not part of the Pacific as required under Article V of the Mutual Defense Treaty,” said the senior deputy minority leader.  “The note verbale is not a binding commitment. The US will not go to war just because of a note verbale, otherwise we do not need a treaty or an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).  We can just resort to exchanges of note verbales.  The government is fooling and misleading the people.” Rep. Colmenares argued.  “The US owes China US$ 1.28 Trillion.  Pres. Obama himself admitted this during the joint conference when he said that ‘There is enormous trade, enormous business that is done between the United States and China, a whole range of issues on the international stage in which cooperation between the United States and China are balanced. So our goal is not to counter China; our goal is not to contain China’. It will not endanger this enormous economic interest just because of the Philippines,” added the progressive solon. “The EDCA has granted the US a franchise to operate a telecommunications system and all the radio band spectrums it requires. It also granted the US tax exemption for the use of its troops and contractors of water, electricity and other public utilities.  While ordinary Filipinos pay VAT and other fees for the use of electricity and other public utilities, we are subsidizing the taxes of the Americans. While the BIR goes after Filipino tax payers, Malacanang has given tax exemptions to the US. The grant of franchise and tax exemption is not within the power of the executive but is a power of Congress” declared Rep. Colmenares.  “Additionally, we also gave them bases and allowed entry of “foreign troops and facilities” which is prohibited by the Constitution. The buildings and facilities that the US will construct under EDCA are bases, no matter what the government says. The Filipino camp commander cannot enter these areas without the permission of the US under Art. III, Par. 3 of EDCA which states that Filipinos can only access these buildings subject to “operational safety and security requirements”.  This means that the US can deny access by merely claiming that access will compromise their ‘operational safety or security requirements’. In the end, those who criticize the EDCA are proven correct. We got nothing after giving so much.  Even the main reason for EDCA, which is US defense against China, was not given to the Philippines by the US,” ended Rep.Colmenares. ###

 

For more information, please contact:

CARL ALABAYAN MUNA Media Officer09175110459