Kabataan Partylist

“We in this Senate found the soul, the true spirit of this nation because we mustered the courage and will to declare the end of foreign military presence in the Philippines. I vote NO to this Treaty and vote Yes to the Resolution of Non-Concurrence.”

This was the speech of Senate President Jovito Salonga on September 16, 1991 when he affirmed the Philippine Senate’s decision to reject the bases agreement with the United States by approving Resolution No. 1259 of Non-Concurrence to “A Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security.”

Salonga was joined by 11 other Senators namely Agapito “Butz” Aquino, Juan Ponce Enrile, Joseph Estrada, Teofisto Guingona Jr., Sotero Laurel, Ernesto Maceda, Orlando Mercado, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Rene Saguisag, Victor Ziga and Wigberto Tañada.

That fateful day ended 470 years of foreign military presence in the Philippines.

One scholar described it as a “day of triumph for the Filipino people as the Magnificent 12 senators defied US attempts to bully and bamboozle the Senate into accepting an onerous bases treaty.”

The Senate stood by its principle of upholding national sovereignty even if President Cory Aquino broke tradition by leading a rally in front of the Senate building to demand the extension of the bases treaty for another ten years.

The rejection of the US bases treaty was welcomed by many people especially those who were looking forward to celebrate the centennial celebration of the country’s independence without the presence of foreign troops in the land.

September 16 or 9/16 represents the desire of the Filipino people that its ’special relationship’ with big brother US “should be a healthier, more normal relationship, based on justice, fairness, and a common adherence to basic human rights.”

9/16 signifies a striving towards a “policy of self-reliance, self-respect and a determination to cut off our continuing dependence on the US through hard work and self-discipline.”

But the principles that gave life to 9/16 were ignored by our subsequent leaders.

In 1999, the Senate passed the Visiting Forces Agreement which allowed US troops to enter Philippine soil again.

The incumbent senators who approved the Visiting Forces Agreement were Juan Flavier, Juan Ponce Enrile, Franklin Drilon, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Rodolfo Biazon and Miriam Defensor Santiago. The other lawmakers who voted for the treaty were former Senators Tessie Aquino Oreta, Robert Jaworski Sr., John Osmeña, Vicente Sotto III, Francisco Tatad, Ramon Revilla Sr., Nikki Coseteng, Gregorio Honasan, and the late lawmakers Marcelo Fernan, Blas Ople, Robert Barbers Sr. and Renato Cayetano.

In 2002, the government invoked the global war against terrorism to justify joint military exercises with US troops in different parts of the country, especially in Mindanao.

Today, there are no longer any foreign military bases in the country. But there are US military warships docked in our harbors. US soldiers are also free to roam our land. They claim to share good deeds like giving medical assistance, training of local soldiers and constructing schoolhouses. But in one instance, a US soldier is convicted of raping a young Filipina.

The government allowed US diplomats to describe southern Philippines as “a doormat of terrorists” or that the country could be the next Afghanistan. The threat of terrorism was in fact exaggerated to defend the continuing intervention of the US military in our domestic affairs.

In the recent case of Nicole vs. Smith and company, we did not receive any words of apology from the US military. Contrast this to the swift apology issued by US military forces in South Korea when a US soldier was accused of raping a South Korean woman.

The issue was issued last month, even if investigation was not yet finished:

“While no words can lessen the anguish of the victim or her family, I deeply regret and personally apologize for this terrible incident that has resulted in grave injury to a Korean civilian.This vicious act is an affront to all soldiers. It taints both our reputations and the sacrifices made by all (U.S. Forces Korea) service members who live and work honorably within this great society.” - Gen. B.B. Bell, commander of the U.S. Forces Korea

When US military dictates are clearly being adopted by an obedient government, we deem it relevant to invoke again the spirit of 9/16. Our people, especially those in power, may have already forgotten the battles won by our elders.

Yes, terrorism must be defeated. But we should not compromise our cherished freedoms and values to deter terror. If we invite US troops to undertake military drills in our camps, we are actually courting terror attacks.

We are told to remember the lessons of 9/11. It is an important reminder. But we should bear in mind that to prevent a similar 9/11 attack in our country, we should relive the ideals of 9/16.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 26th, 2007 at 3:50 pm and is filed under Statements, Government, Justice, Independence. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.