Philippine senator wants to renegotiate US accord - SFGate

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

(09-23) 05:30 PDT MANILA, Philippines (AP) --

The head of the Philippine Senate's foreign relations committee called Wednesday for the renegotiation of a military accord with the U.S. that allows American soldiers to help Filipino troops fight al-Qaida-linked militants, saying it violates the country's constitution.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago presented a resolution from her committee urging the Department of Foreign Affairs to renegotiate the Visiting Forces Agreement or terminate it if the United States refuses.

The continued presence of U.S. troops in the country over the past 10 years since the approval of the accord circumvents a constitutional ban on foreign military bases unless covered by a treaty, she said.

"The Americans have been here for 10 years ... can we still call that temporary? Can we still call that a visit?" she said.

The agreement allows U.S. troops to engage in joint training exercises with Filipino soldiers and governs their conduct in the country. But Santiago said that U.S. troops are fully armed while embedded with Filipino combat troops.

"When they embed themselves ... they are actually baiting the rebels so that they can fire back," she said.

The Philippine Constitution prohibits foreigners from engaging in combat operations "in traditional warfare, or in unconventional warfare," she said.

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson said the agreement is "an important element" in relations between Manila and Washington.

"It is important that our two countries have an open dialogue to make sure it continues to work well," she said.

An estimated 600 U.S. troops are currently stationed in the Philippines, mostly in the south where the Philippine military has been battling the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group and its ally, the Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.

The Philippine military's gains against the militants — including the killing and capture of key leaders and operatives — have been credited to training and intelligence provided by the Americans.

The agreement came under fire in 2006 when it was cited as the basis for the U.S. Embassy's custody of a U.S. Marine while he was on trial on charges of raping a Filipino woman. He was later acquitted by the Philippine Supreme Court.

In a statement, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said the agreement, along with the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S., "remain important, useful and relevant, not only for Philippine national interest but also for regional peace, security and prosperity."

It said the agreement has helped the country, whose military expenditure is the second lowest in Southeast Asia, to modernize its armed forces. It said it also has contributed to fighting the global war on terrorism and provided civil-military and humanitarian aid to impoverished southern communities.

"The Philippines' relationship with the United States in general, and its defense and security cooperation in particular, constitute a strategic partnership that is long-standing and mutually beneficial. With no other country does the Philippines have such deep and diversified ties," the statement said.