PRESIDENT Duterte has advised the United States not to build a “permanent” arms depot in the country.
“I am serving notice to the armed forces of the United States: Do not do it. I will not allow it,” Duterte said late Sunday night.
He said the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the US prohibits the construction of permanent facilities.
“A depot by any other name is a depot. It’s a permanent structure to house arms and I do not even know if there is a nuclear tip now that they are unloading, because it is not allowed in our country,” Duterte added.
The President warned that he may ultimately abrogate the treaty altogether “since it is an executive order.”
Duterte said the US is unloading arms in the Philippines and it may put the country in “extreme danger,” amid the maritime dispute in South China Sea.
“The missiles of China are pointed at the American military assets. Their [US] depot would serve as their supply line. The Philippines will be hit first. They will hit Cagayan, Palawan and Basa [Air Base, Pampanga],” Duterte said.
He added that the US is egging the Philippines to use its victory in the international arbitration court, which favored the Philippines’s arbitration case filed against China’s massive claim of South China Sea.
“The US is referring [to] it [South China Sea] as international seas. It’s not even closer to what we’re claiming that is ours, which is validated by the award,” Duterte said.
Duterte added that he does not want to fight China.
“China does not like to fight and I made a commitment to President Xi Jinping, I made a solemn commitment that we will talk about this arbitral award during my term. When? I really do not know, but during my term, and we will talk hard,” Duterte said.
Few days ago, Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana claimed that the US has approved the construction of barracks, warehouses and runways inside the military camps in the Philippines.
The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca), which was signed in 2014, allows the US to deploy US troops, equipment and supplies for maritime security and humanitarian operations in identified military camps in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, a militant group said Duterte should fire Lorenzana, “who had countermanded the President several times and practically crafted foreign policy by watering down Malacañang’s position on ending the country’s dependence on the US.”
“We support President Duterte’s opposition to the construction of any US weapons depot in the country under Edca. He is correct in pointing out that the US wishes to preposition weapons in the Philippines and that this will raise tensions in the region. The prepositioning of US defense materiel and construction of permanent structures are among provisions of Edca, which we have objected to. These are military bases by another name,” Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Secretary- General Renato M. Reyes Jr. said.
PNA with Marvyn N. Benaning