SHORT HISTORY

Thirty years ago, the Philippines told to America that they must withdraw from the Subic Bay naval base.
Ending a vast military prescense of American military that started during the capture of the Spain to the
Phiippines. This decision resulted of negotiations including a year of talk regarding to the fate of
American bases in the Philippines.

It went to the tentative agreement where America will give to the Philippines of 203 million dollars of
annual aid for the exchange of extending the lease on naval base for atleast a decade, but then the
Philippines senate rejected it, Philippine senate condemned the presence of American military as
vestige of colonialism and affront to Philippines sovereignty.

But over the past month it has become clear in any case that the American military was reconciled to
losing the base, and saw little use in dragging out the process. By the middle of 1993, most of the
American personnel and much of the movable equipment would have been moved elsewhere, at a cost
of billions of dollars, and sending them back would have probably proved prohibitively expensive.

American officials seemed somewhat relieved that the long and often angry negotiations with the
Philippines were over, and that the United States could quickly withdraw from its former military empire
there. In the Philippine Senate, the move to eject United States forces seemed less a debate over the
bases' value than a demonstration of sovereignty and national pride.

DISCUSSION OF BENEFITS OF NOT GIVING AMERICA ANOTHER MILITARY BASE HERE IN THE
PHILIPPINES OR THE EDCA SITE

The benefits of not allowing America to have another 4 military bases in the Philippines are these:

NUMBER ONE- the Philippines would not be magnet of the war between the tension of America and
China because of Taiwan. The fourth sites are in the north part of the Luzon near Taiwan, that China is
gravely concerned over and strongly disapproves and the China’s spokeperson for ministry of foreign
affair said that that intention of building those sites are more than obvious and pandering outside forces
do not bring great security, but will cause tentions, the building of sites in the northern part of Luzon is
provocation to war for China.

The biggest danger is the fact that the US presence in the Philippines will put us in danger of possible
attacks on our territory and people in case there is a war between China and US forces. Philippines is
the first line of defense in the US strategy. It is really concerning in the Philippines if the America help
the Taiwan and attack first the China using the base here in the Philippines. In fact according to
America- Philippines agreement or the mutual defense we will support each other if one of us attack by
the other country and we will gonna face it together and it’s never been said in the agreement that we
will give mutual support if we attack the other country first. The point is the Philippines will be dragged
to this war whether we like it or not because we allow them to use the land here even we did not attack
the China. And what will happen is, the Philippines will also the target of attacks and China will attack
the military bases here in the Philippines, this could put both military personnel and civilians
surrounding in area at risk. And in the end the Philippines will be the battleground of America and China
and this two big country will not get worse casualties during the war, only the people, land, and every
possessions of the Philippiines.

Number Two (2) Not allowing expansion military bases in Philippines will protect its sovereignty
because the military bases can violates country’s sovereignty, especially if the base will use to conduct
military operation without the approval of the Philippine government. And it is obviously that the
building of military bases near Taiwan is not to support and modernize the military of Philippines. They
build it in purpose to make preparation, to help and support Taiwan about the possible war between
diplomatic tension of Taiwan and China.

“Imagine you have a visitor who comes into your house. You welcome this visitor. But this is a visitor
who has all the guns, all the materials, that basically you cannot object to because they are fully loaded.
And you cannot even tell this visitor to get out of your house when you want them to get out.” Corazon
Valdez Fabros said over Zoom from Quezon City in the Philippines.

We cannot control America how they will use the military bases. The point is the military bases can
influence country’s territory, they have control over our territory. Even, the agreement says that the
building of facilities and military bases in the Philippines are not permanement. If we gonna push away
them someday to withdraw their facilities and weapons on our soil, it will not gonna be easy because
they spend a million dollars to build facilities there and it will go to many negotiations before they
withdraw like what I discuss earlier about the short history of America here 30 years ago. They wil not
let go Philippines because them also have interest to us. The Philippines location is the good spot if they
want to have control in Asia. It will violates our sovereignty and it is clear that we are not really free and
we are still under the colonization of America. Some Filipinos may feel that the presence of foreign
military bases is a violation of their country's territorial integrity and a symbol of foreign domination.
And if foreign troops will not respect laws or if there will be instances of human right abuses, it will
increase sovereignty concerns.

Number Three (3) There is no environmental concern. This Balikatan exercise will be joined by a great
amount of foreign military personnel including America, Australia and Japan. We will also expect that
there are great amount of weapons and explosive that wil supply in tha Philippines for the purpose of
Balikatan exercise. That being said, the Balikatan exercise may involve of the use of weapons and
explosive for its training purposes and it is unlikely to use high explosive devices, but still it can affects
our environment and ecological habitat. And can lead to deforestation and pollution.

Except the the environmental issue, the Balikatan exercise will also affect fishfolk because they will
command to stop the fishing because it is dangerous for them surrounding the area because of
explosive and firing guns. This Balikatan Exerceise is interrupt Filipinos fishfolk to work.