No need to reestablish US bases if Philippines opens facilities to US amid Ukraine war —envoy

There is no need to reestablish the American military bases in the Philippines if the country opens its facilities to the US should the Russian-Ukraine crisis spill over to the Asian region, Manila's top diplomat to Washington said Monday. 

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, Philippine envoy to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez explained that there is no need to make another treaty for the US to be able to erect anew their military bases in several parts of the country as the provision of their facilities will only be temporary.

“‘Yung bases, wala na ‘yan. Talagang hindi na. In other words, kung kailangan ng facilities, it will be temporary. Most likely siguro para sa supplies nila kung kailangan nila ng supplies or repair ng mga ships nila diyan sa Subic,” he said.

(The bases are gone. In other words, if they need our facilities, it will only be temporary. Most likely it’s only maybe for their supplies or repair of their ships there in Subic.)

In 1991, the Senate rejected a proposed treaty that would have extended an agreement on the presence of American military bases in the Philippines. This pact was the Philippines-US military bases agreement, entered into in 1947.

Though the 1991 Senate vote meant an end to longtime American military presence in the country, the Philippines and the US' defense and security relationship continued under the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), according to a Supreme Court (SC) ruling.

In 1999, after a period of negotiations, the allies entered into the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which governs the conditions under which American soldiers may be present in the Philippines.

The VFA  is a framework agreement that covers the treatment and presence of American forces in the country with or without war games.

It also makes it possible for the US military to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines in combating extremist groups by providing technical assistance and enemy surveillance to Filipino troops battling the militants.

Romualdez earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed willingness to open Philippine facilities to the US if they would ask for support when “push comes to shove.”

He pointed out that former military bases in Clark, Pampanga and in Subic, Zambales may be opened to the US in case of “emergency.”

Asked if Washington has already coordinated with the Philippine Embassy to seek help, Romualdez said, “Wala naman. Ipinaaabot lang namin in a very informal way na sinabi nga ng Presidente na kung sakali mang may emergency at kailangan nila ‘yuung facilities natin, nandyan naman tayo dahil sa MDT natin.”

(None yet. We are just conveying in a very informal way that the President has said that in case there is an emergency and the US needs our facilities, we will be there because of our MDT.)

He explained that the MDT, which binds the two allies to come to each other’s aid from aggression and help defend the other party, is for the Philippines’ benefit, especially now that the world has become dangerous.

“Itong Mutual Defense Treaty very clear naman ‘yan na kung inatake ‘yung Amerika dito sa area natin, kailangan ay sasama tayo sa kanila o vice versa. Kung pumasok naman dito ‘yung gulo, ay nandyan sila papasok sa atin. Automatic na ‘yun. Reconfirmation na lang siguro ng Philippine Congress at US Congress na ‘yun na nga, ‘yung MDT, pumasok na,” he said. 

(In this MDT, it is very clear that if America is attacked here in our area, we must join them or vice versa. If conflict happens here, they will go here. That’s automatic. Maybe we just need a reconfirmation by the Philippine Congress and the US Congress that the MDT has taken place when it happens.)

'Domestic political resistance'

On the other hand, Professor Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence, and Terrorism Research, on Monday said that while there is a huge possibility that the Philippine territory will be used as a “launching pad” by the US, the Filipinos could still oppose to this.

He said that the Philippine Congress or the public through protests, could relay to the US that there is a “domestic political resistance” in the event that the US taps the Philippines for help, despite the MDT.

“Talagang magkakaraon ng malaking impact niyan sa geopolitical relationship natin at talagang mahaharap sa isang matinding pagdedesisyon ang Pilipinas diyan dahil nga tayo ay nagcu-cultivate ng magandang relasyon sa China, Russia, at US,” Banlaoi said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(That will definitely have a big impact on our geopolitical relationship and the Philippines will definitely face a tough decision there because we are cultivating good relations with China, Russia, and the US.)

“Pero dapat maintindihan ng China at Russia na ang Pilipinas ay isang security ally ng Estados Unidos so ‘yung posibilidad na magamit ang ating territory para sa military activities na ilulunsad ng US ay nakakataas,” he added.

(But China and Russia must understand that the Philippines is a security ally of the United States so the possibility of using our territory for military activities to be launched by the US is high.)

Senator Leila de Lima meanwhile on Saturday called out Duterte for his supposedly "premature and irresponsible" statement regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.

De Lima said such matter "is not being discussed by the leaders of Europe and the US for the simple reason that it engenders an escalation in the language of the conflict, something that Europe and the US do not intend to achieve given the already dangerous state of mind of Putin and his capacity to involve the whole world in a conflagration. This is why the US did not respond to Putin’s order placing Russia’s nuclear forces on alert."

The Philippines earlier appealed for an immediate stop in the violence in Ukraine following Russia's invasion and called on the parties involved to forge a peace accord. —KG, GMA News