THE incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte should maximize relations with other countries in order to achieve security modernization, a University of the Philippines-Manila professor and public policy think-tank official said Friday.
Professor Roland Simbulan of the UP Manila Development Studies and Public Management Department said he has high hopes that the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) would be subject for review under the Duterte administration.
Simbulan, who is also vice chairman of the Center for People’s Empowerment in Governance (Cenpeg), said Duterte should create a foreign policy that is independent and not aligned to only one country.
“Kasi ang foreign policies naman should equally be aligned and maximized by other countries, that is, try to expand and maximize all the benefits we can get,” he said, even citing that if China can offer state-of-the-art but cheaper weapons, the country should grab it.
“Why not? It will save our foreign exchange reserves. At least may mako-compare ka sa mga countries sa kind of help they will offer,” he said.
The Supreme Court upheld the legality of Edca earlier this year when outgoing President Benigno Aquino III made it into an executive agreement, skipping the Senate.
But Simbulan said Edca’s bypassing of the Senate would be an advantage for Duterte once he decides to what to do with it.
“Being the chief executive, if the government would decide not to pursue Edca it would just inform other parties and after a year, wala na yan,” Simbulan said.
For Simbulan, the best way to strengthen the security capability in the country, is to expand the “friendship” to other countries “without necessarily being dragged into each other’s competition”.
“We don’t have to be too close to any single power, I’m not saying to cut our ties, but expand it with other countries, all kinds of support dapat to help achieve modernization,” he said.
To rely only with the US, makes the country weaker compared to other neighboring countries, Simbulan noted.
“Na prove na in the past na kung naka-kiling lang tayo sa US, tayo ang magiging pinakamahina sa bansa. Pinakamalapit nga tayo sa kanila, may mga base pa sila dito, pero when you compare our forces to the neighboring countries, pinagtatawanan tayo, (It's been proven in the past that when we cling to the US, we are the weakest)” he adds.
In a visit here earlier this year, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said EDCA was signed to enhance the delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in this part of the country.
But Simbulan questioned the support the US had been giving to the country, saying it is not really for improved defense and security but to counter insurgency.
If the US’s intention is to improve the country’s defense, Simbulan said it should have showed support to the Air Force and Philippine Navy which he said are both “nakakaawa”.
Contrary to providing security, Simbulan said the presence of US military facilities in the country could even invite more attacks and put innocent lives at risk.
“If we invite US forces here in our country, kahit hindi tayo kaaway ng ibang bansa, titirahin nila yan so madadamay tayo diyan sa away. Should we risk our own security kasi sa pag-aakalang dedepensahan tayo ng US?” Simbulan said.
“They’ve been here since 2003, andiyan sa Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, pero what have they done to prevent Chinese from acquiring Spratlys and the Scarborough Shoal? Bakit hindi nalan natin sila doon natin ipa-deploy sa Spratlys para depensahan yung mga isla natin, yun ay kung ang intention talaga nila is to back us up in our claims with the South China Sea,” he noted.
The Edca was signed by Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg just before US President Barack Obama visited the country on April.