Philippines: Resolution to abrogate VFA filed in House

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PUBLISHED ON February 15, 2008 AT 9:15 AM

Four days before the joint Philippines and United States military exercises, dubbed Balikatan 2008, kicks off on Monday, militant lawmakers in the House of Representatives filed a resolution seeking the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Balikatan 2008 will be the 24th joint military exercises under the auspices of the Mutual Defense Treaty and the VFA. The “war games” will start from February 18 to March 3 and will be held in Central and Western Mindanao, and the Sulu Archipelago.

House Resolution 458 filed by Bayan Muna Representatives Satur C. Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño, Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran, and Gabriela Reps. Liza Maza and Luz Ilagan calls for the abrogation of the VFA saying that “this nine-year old agreement show that its onerous provisions denigrate Philippine sovereignty and paved the way for permanent presence and basing of US troops in the country.”

“Our experiences in dealing with the cases of abuses and violations of our laws by American troops who were in the country by virtue of the VFA show that the agreement is riddled with provisions that undermine, if not totally render impossible, the criminal prosecution of said US troops,” the lawmakers said.

They said that “the VFA provisions on the custody of the accused, prescription of criminal prosecution and waiver of jurisdiction stand as the biggest stumbling blocks to the right of the victims to seek justice and ultimately lead to the loss of Philippine right to prosecute the offenders, which is an affront to our sovereign power to enforce our laws within our territory.”

The party-list lawmakers also said that “the culpability of American troops have not been thoroughly investigated despite presentation of solid evidence, thus relegating into the archives of oblivion” cases like “the mauling of Marcelo Batestil in Cebu City, the shooting of Buyong-Buyong Isnijal in Tuburan, Basilan, the massacre of three of our Moro brothers in Barangay Sipangkot, Umapoy Island, Tawi-Tawi, and the shooting to death of Arsid Baharon in Barangay San Roque, Zamboanga City.”

They added that “even in the Subic rape case, justice has not yet been satisfactorily served as the convicted American soldier, Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, awaiting decision on his appeal, was surreptitiously taken away from his prison cell in Makati City by American authorities with the apparent acquiescence of the Philippine government and transferred to the custody of the US embassy in violation of our Constitution and laws.”

“This continued undermining of Philippine sovereignty through the VFA has been made possible by the Philippine government’s own subservience to American dictates,” said Ocampo.

Ocampo also said that “RP-US military exercises under the VFA have been scheduled and conducted the whole year round, thus have practically allowed the permanent presence of US troops in the country.”

Last February 4, 2008 eight people, including two children and pregnant woman were massacred in Barangay Ipil, Maimbung, Sulu. According to reports, “four US soldiers in the company of the Philippine Navy and Army elite forces stormed the village.”

Ocampo is set to join the Mindanao-wide People’s Caravan against US troops on Sunday, the eve of the Balikatan exercises. #

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