US Military Presence in Phillipines

[Nick Morgan <nmorgan@igc.org>]

The following is a compendium of articles dealing with US military 
presence in the Phillipines.

PHIL. DAILY INQ. 10/25/97

US LANDING RIGHTS PUSHED

Tangub City--- At least four top local officials in Mindanao favor landing
rights for US military aircraft and seacraft to ensure Southern Philippines
is guarded against external threats. Rep. Charito Plaza (Butuan JCity), a
reserved Air Force colenel and vice chair of the House defense com,
Governor Priscilla Chiongbian of Sarangani, Gov. Nur Misuari of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Nidanao and Mayor Rosalita Nunez of General
SAntos City.

Chiongbian said she would support landing and berthing righs for US
miliatry vessels in the airport, wharf and other facilities in the
Socsargen (South Cotabato-SArangani-GEn SAntos) area because "they are
friendly forces" and "they gave us that airport.

But in Angeles City in Central Luzon, a militant group questioned plans for
building a military aircraft maintenance center at the Calrk Special
Economic Zone, site of the former Clark Air Base.

Clark Development Corp., which oversees the economic zone, allayed the
fears expressed by the Task Force for Bases Clean-up.

It said the entry of aviation giant Boeing Co,., throught its wholly owned
subsidiary McDonnel Douglas Corp., in Clark was purely commercial in nature.

Rep. Charito Plaza (Butuan City), a reserved Air Force colonel and vice
chair of the House defense committee said Mindanao was a f"flash point"
because of seven countryies claiming the Spratly Islands and should be "the
center of a defense program.

Mystery survey

In Glan, SArangani, Arnold CArino, barangay captain from from 1979 to 1987,
told reporters yesterday that a team of unidentified men twice came to
survey Sumbang Point a decade back -- in 1983 and in 1987, five years
before the US troop pullout.

"They were Fioippinos, but ehy said their work was for the expansion of
Subic Bay."

Hwe said the didn't know if they were from the military but taht some of
them were armed.

Memo on Clark facility

McDonnel Doughlas Corp. recently signed a memorandum of understanding with
Calrk International Airport Corp. for the establishment of a military
aircraft support center at the former Clark Air Base.

McDonnel Doughlas manufactures F-15 fighter planes, Apache F/A-18 Hornets
and the Boeing 747, among other aircradft.

Myrla Baldonado, chair of the People's TAsk Force for bases Cleanup said
that under the bases conversion law, the former US base should be used for
productive and and civilian ventures.

She said the memorandum violated this law and fits into the US "design of
negotiating for military access "in the guiese of bringing new investments."

Baldonado said plans for the aircraft maintenance center confirmed her
group's suspicions that Clark, the former base of the 13th US Air Force,
was still being considered a possible US military access point.

____________________________________________

Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 26, 1997

GORDON NOW FROWNS ON US BASES

Look who's talking? Former Olongapo City Mayor Ricahrd Gordon is now
against the reutrn of US military bases in the country.

Gordon was a staunch supporter of the presence of the bases at the height
of discussions on the fate of the US mlitary facilities in the country in
the early 90's.

Six year after the Senate rejected the Military Bases Agreeemnt his stand
has taken a 180 degree turn.

"No, I don't favor the return of the US bases in the country. What I favor
is the forging of a ilitary alliance with the US, Gordon told a press
conference at Camp John Hay here.

With this alliance, Gordon said, US troops could be given access to the
contry's seaports and airports as temporary stations while their ships and
planes undergo refuelling and maintenace checks.

"I favor this type of access. We must consider that the Americans are our
allies and they are our biggest market.

The SBMA underGordon has successfully converted the former naval base into
a freeport.

He is coming out with a book highlighting among other things, his life and
the success of the five-year-old SBMA.

Gordon, who is reported to be running for president in 1998 would not say
if this book would be part of his political vehicle.

____________________

MIRIAM SEEKS POLL ON US PRESENCE

Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday said Malacanang should commission a
survey on public reaction to the reported plans to establish US military
presence in the country this time in Mindano.

Santiago said the Senate's rejection of a new mlitary bases agreeemnt was
already a definitive rejection of any attempt to set up Amerian mlitary bases.

HOwever, she added, there should be a distinction between a military base
and a Status of Forces Agreement (Sofa) between the two countries.
"If the Ramos ad has been negotiating a Sofa with the US gov, it should now
reveal the terms and conditions to the Fil public.

Santiago said the need for public info about a Sofa is acute because it is
invariable controversial.

"Any proposed Sofa should consider the issues posed by the noise of
aircraft, the threat of accidents (involving) nuclear and chemical weapons,
adn thedamage to farmland by the Afmerian Army on maneuver," she said.

She said that even if a Sofa does not mean the setting up of a military
base in the country, "it will still raise the visceral issue of low-life
service economy, such as nightclubs and brothels which spread HIV infection
and Aids.

--------------------------------

SOLON SAYS HOUSE MAJORITY FAVORS US ACCESS TO RP

Davao City -- House Assistant Majority Floorleader Prospero Nograles
yesterday said the majority of the country's congressmen and Mindanao's
elected officials favored the grant of landing rights to US military forces
in Socsargen.

Nograles (Lakas, Davao) said giving access to US military would spur the
entry of foreign assistance and accelerate development and construction of
infrastructure projects in MIndanao.

Rep. Charito Plaze, vice chair of the House defense committee, told members
of the Misamis Occidental chapter of the Philippine Councilors League in
Tangub City on Thursday that landing rights ,must be given all US mlitarya
air and se craft in Mindanao to ensure that Southern Phil is guarded
against external threats.

Plaza, a reserve colonel in the PHlippine Air Force said Mindanao was a
"flashpoint" because of seven countries claiming the Spratly Islands, and
should be the center of a defense Program.

But lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate, Free Legal Assistance Group spokesperson
in Southern Mindano, said granting landing and berthing rights to US forces
would violate the "nuclear-free" provision of the Constitution because of
the US government's policy of neither confirming or denying the presence of
nuclear weapons in US war planes and shiops.

Zarate said officials supporting landing rights for the US military were
modern Judases.
Plaza branded as "hypocrites" those opposing US military bases in or access
to the country and said the Armed Forces of the Philippines "was still not
ready to defend Mindanao in case of external aggression."

Koronadal Bishop D. Gutierrez said, "There is no flash, and there is no
point."

Who is the agressor? he added.

It was Gutierreza who first raised the alarm over the alleged plan of the
US government to set bases in Socsargen or use the USAID-funded
international airport and expanded seaport there as launching pads for US
military troops on mission in the Asia-Pacific.

Gutierrez said those who favor granting the US military landing rights
should be "enlightened, for they do not know what they are talking about."

"Development is total and integrated. Economic development is an
incomplete development because it pertains only to material things," he said.

Gutierrez said he would pray for them so that they may be englightened,
that they may be able to read the signs of the times.

Others who favor landing rights for the US military are Genral Santos City
Mayor Rosalita Nunez, SArangani Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian, ang Gov. Nur
Misuari of the Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.