Renato Reyes Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Coinciding with the celebration of the Filipino-American Friendship Day, militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) marched to the US Embassy in Manila Wednesday to oppose a proposal allowing US spy planes to conduct flights over the Philippines, including the West Philippine Sea.
“We don’t need the US policing the South China Sea. US troop build-up in the Philippines is a violation of our sovereignty and does nothing to advance the peaceful resolution of the territorial dispute in the South China Sea,” said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr.
He said this may even encourage an “arms race” in the West Philippine Sea, where China might respond by placing more ships in the disputed region.
Apart from monitoring the South China Sea, Bayan said that the spy planes may also be used for “surveillance” of the country’s internal affairs, as well as the mapping of our resources.
As to the suggestion of Senator Gregorio Honasan that a US Navy fleet should also be deployed along with the spy planes, the group said it is “absurd” to think that the intervention of the US “will boost our chances against China,” adding that the idea was “ridiculous” and a “smack of mendicant, colonial thinking.”
“Honasan places his faith on the Mutual Defense Treaty, a one sided agreement that does not guarantee US support in the event of external armed attack against the Philippines,” he added.
The group also slammed the Department of Foreign Affairs for suggesting that the US play regional police in the disputed area of the Spratlys.
Reyes said the department should know that the US “will not mediate” but will, instead, “end up controling the disputed area.”
“We don’t see how the use of US spy planes can modernize our AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and lead to a minimum credible defense,” Reyes said. Jamie Marie Elona