MANILA, Philippines - Militant group Bayan on Friday slammed the presence of another US Navy ship in the Philippine amid the still unresolved Tubbataha incident USS Guardian.
Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said the docking of the USS Cheyenne in Subic, Philippines has added insult to serious injury.
"The port call by this nuclear submarine sends the message that it’s business as usual under the Visiting Forces Agreement. It’s as if the whole Tubbataha incident never happened. This is despite the fact that the US has yet to fully explain why a minesweeper was present in a protected marine area," Reyes added.
"We oppose any further port calls, incursions, maneuvers and exercises by US warships in Philippine under the VFA. This agreement simply allows the US too much leeway. An unlimited number of US ships can enter the Philippines for unspecified reasons, for an indefinite period of time, and for a wide range of activities," he said.
He said that considering all the US Navy's infractions within the country's territory, the Philippine government should act to scrap the VFA.
"The practice of 'routine port calls' must be stopped. To protect our environment, VFA must be junked," Reyes said. - Dennis Carcamo