A RECENT event in Quezon City has reignited the debate over the Philippines’ strategic choices in its foreign policy, particularly concerning the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States.
University of Philippines Prof Roland Simbulan criticised the EDCA sites, arguing that they undermine the Philippines’ sovereignty and expose the country to potential attacks from America’s geopolitical rivals, cited the Filipino media company ABS-CBN Corporation.
Simbulan’s latest edition of his book, The Bases of Our Insecurity, delves into the ramifications of foreign military bases in the Philippines.
He highlighted how these bases turn the Philippines into a forward base for the US, specifically targeting China. The new EDCA bases, mostly located across Taiwan, would draw the Philippines into the orbit of US-China tensions.
At the book launch, prominent figures like coalition activist and WomanHealth NGO advocate Princess Nemenzo and Berlin-based co-president of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Peace Bureau Corazon Valdez-Fabros echoed Simbulan’s concerns.
They called on the Philippines government to reassess its alignment with foreign military powers, arguing that historical experiences show such alliances increase the likelihood of the Philippines being dragged into conflicts.
In his latest edition, Simbulan expanded on his critical analysis of the strategic implications of foreign military bases in the Philippines, specifically addressing the controversial nine EDCA bases in the Philippines, of which most of the new ones were located across Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province and not near the West Philippine Sea.
He described the Philippines as becoming into “an aircraft carrier of the US” due to the expanded American military presence here with EDCA bases and the Visiting Forces Agreement, which he said are clearly targeting US’s strategic rival China and their cities.
In his address, Simbulan emphasised that foreign military bases in the Philippines posed significant risks, including entanglement in increasing conflicts among superpowers such as US, China and Russia.
He asserted that the EDCA bases would compromise the Philippines’ national sovereignty and make them a target for attacks in geopolitical rivalries.
Simbulan also cited Russian President Putin’s recent public complaint and warning that the presence of mid-range US missiles in the Philippines would elicit a response and that this would pose a grave danger to the nation’s safety.
He also recounted that a Vietnamese official speaking at the University of the Philippines said during the Vietnam War, the US had used their military bases in the Philippines to keep bombing Vietnam and other countries of Indo-China, and that if the Vietcongs then had military capabilities then, they would have struck back at Philippine targets.
Nemenzo highlighted the historical and sociopolitical context of foreign military presence in the Philippines. She asserted that Philippine experiences with foreign bases have repeatedly shown that they do not contribute to their security but rather increase the likelihood of their involvement in conflicts not of their making.
She also said it is time for the Philippines to pursue a truly independent foreign policy, free from entanglements with any big powers, adding that the Philippines should oppose war and foreign military bases.
Valdez-Fabros said the presence of foreign military bases undermines Philippines’ efforts to uphold peace, national sovereignty and stability. She added that the Philippines should focus on building self-reliant national defence capabilities rather than aligning with any major power bloc to avoid getting into wars. She also asserted that the Philippines must avoid becoming a pawn in potential proxy wars by the superpowers.
The panelists collectively urged a shift towards a neutral foreign policy, advocating for the strengthening of local defence capabilities. They argued that reliance on foreign military bases escalates tensions and risks making the Philippines a battleground in global conflicts.
This discussion has reinvigorated the national debate on Philippine foreign policy, underscoring the importance of pursuing an independent stance to ensure national sovereignty.
The call for a reevaluation of foreign military presence in the Philippines highlights the broader need for a strategic reassessment to avoid becoming entangled in the geopolitical rivalries of global superpowers.
