A New Basing Treaty replacing a Very Favorable Agreement (VFA)

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago wants an abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in the light of revelations that 500 or so US soldiers are routinely being stationed in Mindanao even without the Balikatan exercises. US Ambassador Kristie Kenney, meanwhile, said that there's no need to review the agreement since it works for the interests of both sides. Lt Senior Grade Nancy Gadian's "revelations" that the US maintains "forward bases" in the Philippines have sparked renewed public interest in the VFA. Despite the VFA, Gadian said that US troops are not observing the "proper decorum" in accordance with the Very Favorable Agreement (VFA).

Now, is Miriam Defensor-Santiago's call for the abrogation of the VFA a real honest-to-goodness attempt at protecting Philippine sovereignty from US intervention? No.

Santiago is part of a charade which aims to force a new treaty more favorable to the United States. How's that? If you analyze the arguments of Santiago, she questions the length of stay or period of "basing" by US troops, not the legal processes within the pact itself. What Santiago proposes is for the US to be "clear" on the length of stay of its troops in Philippine territory. That, by itself, is a message for the US to "renegotiate" not an executive agreement, but a TREATY that would revive the idea of stationing US troops for a long period of time here.

So, a charade is being done in full public view to justify a new basing treaty, even using Gadian both to justify the re-negotiation and divert public attention from the finer details of this new treaty being proposed.

RP Generals in heat

The first one was this general who burst out from a meeting with provincial officials when a Congressman accused the Army of not being there when fighting broke out between the MILF and local vigilante groups. Then Air Force Chief Pedrito Cadungog followed with threats of punching anyone who'll accuse the Air Force of having widow makers and flying coffins in its fleet.

Now, Western Mindanao Command Chief Lt. General Nelson Allaga sending off a text message to an Inquirer journalist who was asking why there's still US troops stationed in Zamboanga City. The text was uncalled for.

It seems that generals right now act like bullies and not gentlemen. We pay for their salaries and we even subsidized their studies as plebes. But when they earn their stripes, they now consider us as if we are their slaves.

Why do we have generals such as these? Umakyat na ba ang kapangyarihan sa mga ulo ng mga yan? I don't want to judge but it seems like it.

Imagine an Air Force Chief threatening everyone with harm should we tell him the truth. Pedrito, have you even reviewed the fleet of dilapidated airplanes you have in your disposal? And those old Hueys which caused the deaths of many of your men? How do you describe them, ha, Pedrito? Do you want us, the people, to just take these all in stride?

I once met Lt. General Allaga when I was covering the 2000 Erap-initiated war against the Bangsamoro rebels and he was a gentleman. What had happened to him?

Where are the generals who serve the people as officers and gentlemen? It seems that the pampering done by Gloria had surely gone to the heads of these so-called generals.