Rise in prostitution feared with return of US troops

By: 10 years ago

The nuclear-powered US Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The carrier, carrying 5,000 crew and more than 80 aircraft, moved fixed-wing aircraft ashore to make more room for 21 helicopters on its flight deck. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—A women’s group has warned that the increased presence of United States troops in the country would result in the “increased prostitution” of Filipino women.

Filipinos should protest the new agreement as a breach of Philippine sovereignty, said Proleta Gomez, the spokesperson for Pagkakaisa ng Kababaihan para sa Kalayaan (Kaisa Ka).

She said the “sex trade” appeared to be the “sales pitch” of United States Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino, based on the announcements they made following a closed-door meeting the two had in the city last March 3.

Goldberg thanked the Philippines for “its support for increasing the number of US troop visits to Olongapo and expanding the liberty area for visiting US sailors,” Gomez told a rally commemorating the International Women’s Day this week.

Gomez said Paulino had “preempted” the results of the negotiations for a new agreement on enhanced defense cooperation between the US and the Philippines when Paulino announced that the number of US Navy vessels docking at the Subic Bay Freeport would double. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon