BAYAN DENOUNCES THE ‘COMBINED COORDINATION CENTER’ INSIDE CAMP AGUINALDO AS A DE FACTO EDCA SITE
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan denounces the Marcos Jr government for signing the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between the Philippines and the United States and for agreeing to build a “combined coordination center” inside Camp Aguinaldo.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited the Philippines to sign the agreement and to break ground for the new center of the joint operation inside the country’s main military headquarters. The outgoing US official made sure that the Philippines will continue to uphold the geopolitical interest of the US under the incoming Trump presidency.
Both initiatives reinforce the military control of the US which undermines the country’s security and sovereignty. The corrupt and treasonous Marcos Jr government has allowed the US to inspect various sites in the country which was made a prerequisite for the signing of the GSOMIA. The agreement also has no expiration which indefinitely surrenders the country’s security concerns to the imposition of the US government.
The building of a joint center inside a military camp in the country’s capital, which also hosts the office of the Department of National Defense and other agencies of the government’s security cluster, further exposes the subservience of the Marcos presidency to the US government.
Who has control of this so-called combined coordination center? What will be the role of US forces inside this center? Why is the government allowing a foreign entity to build a facility inside Camp Aguinaldo? Based on available information, this center will be operated similar to the nine sites of the US under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. This is most alarming since the de facto EDCA site will be installed within Metro Manila.
The claim of authorities that the center will respond to disaster situations is pure hogwash and another malicious excuse to justify the expanded presence and intervention of the US military.
Bayan calls on the people to protest the GSOMIA and the building of the combined coordination center inside Camp Aguinaldo. The government should assert an independent foreign policy instead of its mendicant stance of relying on the US to handle our security affairs. These reckless initiatives do not advance peace and security as they represent further escalation of US military meddling in the country and in the region.
#JunkEDCA
#USTroopsOutNow
#AtinAngPinas
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