A similar move cost Ukraine over 500,000 lives.
The Philippines government propaganda ignores the rights of Filipinos, and says, “The Department of National Defense shrugged off claims that the Philippines’ Enhanced Defense Cooperation with the USA constitutes a ‘gross violation of our national sovereignty’.”
By Melissa Hemingway in Ukraine and Micheal John in Toronto, Canada
“Another country occupying the Philippines in order to wage war on China, not the EDCA, is the problem, and is indeed a Philippines Constitution violation.”
“While the EDCA itself may be in violation, human rights are tossed out the window as they often are by the Philippines Marcos government—which murders people it doesn’t like [according to HRW]—and may be just what the Constitution and its authors warn against. The EDCA itself is just paper, but another country occupying the Philippines in order to wage war on China is tossing the Constitution, democracy, the rule of law and the Philippines sovereignty, into the trash heap,” says a defence and foreign affairs diplomatic expert in the Philippines who does not want to be identified for fear of government reprisal with violence. (Last October, a Philippine news radio host who was a prominent critic of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was shot dead in his car during an ambush near his home. According to The Associated Press, Percival Mabasa, 63, was driving his vehicle when two men on a motorcycle approached and shot him twice in the head in Las Pinas City, a suburb of Metro Manila.) Reporters Without Borders (RSF) rated the Philippines at 147th out of 180 countries in its latest Press Freedom Index. As RSF noted, “The Philippines is one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists and critics…”.
Image is a screen capture from a CNA YouTube Video. Art, cropping, enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective-Magazine
The so-called Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement between Marcos and Biden in the current environment is different from what PH DND is referring to.
The current endangering of the Philippines people is contrary to Section 25 in the Philippines constitution which states that “foreign military bases, troops, or facilities” must not be allowed in the Philippines after 1991,” especially in consideration of the intent behind Section 25 which is to protect Filipino families.
As the Americans and Chinese prepare for imminent war with each other on Philippines territory, the Constitution of the Philippines may have some importance to Filipinos who are in grave morbid danger, if not to the Bongbong Marcos government.
“If the Americans want to make war on China, that is their business, but doing that with weapons based in my backyard is a grave violation of me, my country, and endangers my life, my children’s lives, and the lives of my entire Filipino community. The Philippines Army which has been killing Filipino human rights defenders with American -supplied weapons in Negros Occidental and elsewhere does not decide my Constitution for me,” said Karinna Angeles a Filipino human rights defender of RINJ Women.
Zara Alvarez was a Filipino human rights advocate, educator, paralegal, and prominent social activist who predominantly campaigned against human rights violations including Duterte’s extrajudicial killings during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte and failed running mate Bongbong Marcos. (Wikipedia) Zara Alvarez, former education director of the human rights alliance Karapatan, died on the spot after being shot six times on 17 August 2020 as she was heading home after buying food for dinner. She was the 13th member of the Karapatan human rights organization killed by the Philippines Military. In an interview with Al Jazeera’s 101 East presenter Mary Ann Jolley in 2019, Zara Alvarez accused the Philippines government of having a direct hand in the hundreds of deadly incidents against farmers on Negros Island. Photo credit: Mark Saludes. Photo is cropped: Art / Cropping / Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective-Magazine
“So despite the grunts of the Philippines Army supporting endangerment of the Philippines population, an Army which is often killing Filipinos, hence they don’t care, Marcos is looking like a traitor by the day as wartime nears. And the Philippines is starting to look like a dead duck that has yet to sink,” points out Dale Carter, security director of The RINJ Foundation which has urged those able to leave the Philippines to do so as soon as possible.
“Not only is America fighting a war with China on Philippines territory a violation of the Philippines sovereignty, it endangers some 200 million Asian civilians and is a violation of the Philippines Constitution as re-created in 1987,” added Ms. Carter.
“We urged Ukrainians to leave the country long before the crisis escalated and then watched as millins left too late, leaving behind the bodies of loved ones,” Ms. Carter added. “Can you really be critical of our warning this time?” Ms. Carter asked rhetorically.
This issue of a dangerous Constituion violation has been raised a number of times in Manila, one of the most recent being a complaint by Former Senator Francisco Tatad and others supporting him.
Foreign troops based on Philippines soil violate constitution. Shown here in La Union province, Philippines 30 August 30. 2023, service members with the U.S. Navy, based locally, the Republic of Korea aboard visiting Cheon Ja Bong (LST-687), and members of the Philippines Navy, parade their colors at La Union National High School in San Fernando City, La Union, near Baguio CIty in the Philippines. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kegan E. Kay. Photo is cropped. Art, cropping, enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective-Magazine
A national referendum should have been held and won by a majority vote referendum to change the Philippines Constitution and allow the Americans to go to war with China from the Philippines.
Philippines Constitution. Section 25.“After the expiration in 1991 of the Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning military bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate and, when the Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a national referendum held for that purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State.”
“The United States Occupies Luzon Island of The Philippines, a flagrant violation of the Philippines Constitution, regardless of what politicians say in Manila. The people should have decided. Their constitution implied, and promised that,” says Human Rights defender Karinna Angeles.