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News Release April 28, 2014 References: Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, 091 8!"04"9 Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos #sa$ani %ara&e, 091 1 4014

BA'AN M(NA: )*CA +A,)N,-' (NC.N/,#,(,#.NASays agreement allows unli-US troops, prepositioning of jets and warships and makes the whole PH as a US base Bayan Muna Reps !eri "a#ier $olmenares and $arlos %sagani &arate today said that the re'ently signed (nhan'ed )efense $ooperation *greement +()$*, between the United States of *meri'a and the Philippines is patently un'onstitutional and should be -uestioned at the Supreme $ourt Rep $olmenares 'harged that aside from the fa't that ()$* will pra'ti'ally bring ba'k US military bases in the Philippines it upgraded the e.tremely lopsided relations between the two 'ountries by doing it without a treaty, without rent and without limits as the US may use all Philippine military fa'ilities - an arrangement worse than the Bases /reaty reje'ted by the Philippine Senate in September 0110 2Simply put in addition with $harter 'hange we are again being made to be a fully fledged *meri'an 'olony,3 said the senior deputy minority leader 2(#en if they say that 2key pro#isions and modalities of the ()$* would refle't, among others, full respe't for Philippine so#ereignty, nonpermanen'e of US troops and no US military basing in the Philippines and a prohibition against nu'lear weapons, we all know that these 'an be 'ir'um#ented by the fa't that in reality it is the US go#ernment that is the one 'alling the shots and not the *-uino administration,3 said Rep $olmenares 2%n fa't based on the do'ument 45uestion and *nswer on the (nhan'ed )efense $ooperation *greement +()$*,6 released by Mala'anang, the US would at least ha#e 07 years of using Ph bases and there would be no limit to the US troops that would 'ome to the 'ountry /hey 'an also preposition jets and warships in our territory /he US 'an also make fa'ilities and upgrade infrastru'ture e g bases, 'ommand 'enters and the like for their purposes /hese are at the #ery least #ery -uestionable and should be s'rutini8ed be'ause as it is, in paper it is a Philippine base but in reality it is a US base,3 said Rep $olmenares Meanwhile Rep $arlos &arate said that 2another point is the supposed prohibition of nu'lear weapons, but the US maintains a neither 'onfirm nor deny poli'y if their ships or planes 'arry nu'lear weapons *side from this the US military 'an still bring other types of weapons of mass destru'tion that would make us a prime target of US enemies /his is a 'lear threat to our 'ountry6s safety and se'urity,3 29urthermore, they already found a way to 'ir'um#ent the 'onstitutional ban on the presen'e of foreign troops in the 'ountry thru the :isiting 9or'es *greement +:9*, but now they will further ma.imi8e this and in'rease US troop presen'e in the 'ountry, a member of the PH negotiating panel for the ()$* e#en said that it may e#en allow tens of thousands of US troops or e#en more depending on their so-'alled a'ti#ities in the 'ountry So in truth the ()$* is a #ery de'epti#e deal,3 said Rep &arate 2/his early we are already studying the option of -uestioning the ()$* at the Supreme $ourt be'ause it is a 'lear #iolation of our $onstitution parti'ularly Se'tions ; and < and possibly Se'tion = of *rti'le %% >e are also of the position that this is not a mere e.e'uti#e agreement but a treaty and should be s'rutini8ed by the Senate and the House of Representati#es,3 added Rep $olmenares 2>e must learn from history that the 9ilipino people ousted the bases in 0110 not only be'ause its presen'e #iolates our so#ereignty but they were also magnets for atta'k from the many enemies of the United States /he presen'e of US troops here will in'rease the tension in the region and threatens its stability >e do not want to be'ome another %ra- where the US troops remained e#en if Saddam Hussein has long been dead >e should stand against $hina6s bullying but we should get the support of the international 'ommunity instead of the US,3 ended Rep $olmenares ???

0or more informa&ion, please con&ac&: CAR- A-A BA'AN M(NA Me1ia .fficer 091 "1104"9