MANILA, Philippines – Ipinababasura ng Makabayan bloc ang 1952 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT)sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos, kasabay ng paghimok na dapat ay mas isulong pa ng bansa ang independent foreign policy.
Ito ang naging panawagan nina House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro ng ACT Teachers party-list, Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas ng Gabriela party-list at Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel ng Kabataan party-list sa pamamagitan ng House Resolution 744 na inihain nila apat na araw makaraang magkasundo ang dalawang bansa na magtayo pa ng apat na karagdagang bagong lugar para sa Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
“The MDT between the Philippines and the US has been anything but ‘mutual’. Rather, it has become a means for the US to assert its economic and military powers globally by using its network of defense agreements between many countries, including the Philippines,” saad sa Resolution No. 744.
Isinusulong din ng resolusyon na ibasura ang 1951 treaty dahil sa pagiging “detrimental, rather than beneficial, to the Philippines and our national sovereignty and for running counter to the principle of independent foreign policy.”
One-sided deal din pabor sa mga Amerikano ang MDT.
Maliban dito, inihayag rin ng mga mambabatas na maaaring madamay pa ang Pilipinas sa sigalot sa pagitan ng US at China.
“The issues of the US against different countries, especially that against China, will strain our economic relations with such countries, as the MDT can be invoked by the US in forcing the Philippines’ hand to side with the US and to ultimately use our resources and even our territory to fight against the US’ enemies,” ayon pa sa resolusyon. RNT/JGC
