Militant group questions presence of another US nuclear attack submarine

ON PORT CALL. The attack submarine USS Louisville (SSN 724) enters Sepangar Bay in Malaysia in this photo taken on April 3. The submarine is now docked at the Subic Freeport. US Navy photo

MANILA, Philippines—The left-wing militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Tuesday questioned the presence of another United States nuclear-powered attack submarine in Subic Bay, the USS Louisville, as it was ” misleading the public” and was made to appear that the port call “nothing out of the ordinary.”

“The port calls by US warships are becoming more common now that the US is rebalancing their forces towards Asia. Over the next few years, 60% of US ships will be positioned in Asia. The US treats the Philippines as its military outpost, a virtual base where its warships can just go in and out any time, under the catchphrase ‘routine port call,’” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr. in a statement.

“Can anyone from Malacañang or the Department of Foreign Affairs tell us what these routine port calls are? What are the, protocols, terms of reference and under what agreements are these allowed? The Palace is making it appear that these nuclear warships, presumably armed with weapons of mass destruction, are just normal fixtures in Subic. Malacañang wants us to get used to them,” Reyes said.

Bayan also questioned the presence of a private defense contractor in Subic, which was said to have been “slowly transforming the civilian facility back into a US military hub.”

“In particular, the Senate should investigate the presence of a US defense contractor in Subic, which provides repairs and other logistics services for US ships. The biggest builder of US nuclear warships is now operating in Subic. The US company AMSEC-Huntington Ingalls has entered into a partnership with Hanjin in Subic to service an increasing number of US warships. It’s like the bases are back but under different terms and under private management,” Reyes added.

Bayan also asked the Philippine government to review the Visiting Forces Agreement.

“The US will use the VFA to get a more permanent and expanded foothold on PH territory. They will use military exercises, port calls and rotational deployment to make sure that they will never leave the Philippines,” Reyes said.

“The Aquino government promised to review the VFA two years ago, especially provisions on criminal jurisdiction and custody for erring US troops. Nothing has come out of that. It was all a sham. Aquino even welcomed US rebalancing towards Asia despite many outstanding problems with the VFA. He thinks that by kowtowing to US dictates, the AFP will modernize. That’s simply a mendicant and colonial mind set,” he added.

The USS Louisville, arrived Monday to replenish its supplies and will leave in June 30, according to the US Embassy. Last Month, another US submarine, the USS North Carolina, also docked in Subic Bay for a routine port call.