DESPITE the Philippines removing American soldiers and its military bases in the country, Washington still had an opportunity to start returning here.
September 16, 1991, became a historic day for the Philippines because this marked the day in which 12 senators made a major move following the controversial decision to remove the military bases of the United States in the country.
The senators, dubbed as the magnificent 12, made history for ending the RP-US military bases agreement.
And they are Senate President Jovito Salonga, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Agapito Aquino, Joseph Estrada, Teofisto Guingona Jr., Sotero Laurel, Orlando Mercado, Ernesto Maceda, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Victor Ziga, Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tañada – who authored resolution 1259 or the non-concurrence to the proposed treaty.
And if not for the votes of these senators, the U.S. military bases would have remained in the Philippines for ten years.
The vote also resulted in the US military forces leaving the Subic Naval Base, which is known as its largest military base in Asia.
American forces also left the Clark Air Base in Pampanga and Camp John Hay in Baguio City.
Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the magnificent twelve, said that among the many reasons why he is not in favor of US military bases in the Philippines is because the country is at a great disadvantage under the agreement that it signed with the United States.
“I do believe that the military bases of the country serve the national interest of America more than the national interest of the Philippines and in fact in the onset or the beginning of our independence when we went to America to ask for the revision of the military bases agreement they were not paying anything for losing our land as their bases they never gave us modern firearms except those they gave us after World War 2,” said Sec. Juan Ponce Enrile, former Senate President| Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.
But how did the United States manage to find an opportunity to slither its way to return its military presence in the Philippines?
“I don’t think there’s an example anywhere in the world where local people have risen up, as well as politicians and the US military to large and significant and based on what happened in the Philippines. Long after that happened, the US military began to find ways to return to the Philippines. Really beginning around 1989. It’s found surreptitious, secretive ways in which to establish and maintain a presence in the Philippines,” said Prof. David Vine, Department of Anthropology | American University.
“And so they found a way to extend their stay here. By coming up with the visiting forces agreement. Visiting forces agreement. So that would allow American personnel to come in. For training purposes for interoperability or other operations,” said Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr, former National Security Adviser.
The Visiting Armed Forces Agreement (VFA), sets the conditions between the Philippines and the United States, and allows Washington forces to enter Philippine territory and conduct joint military exercises called the ‘Balikatan’ or shoulder-to-shoulder exercise.
The VFA was signed in 1998 by President Fidel V. Ramos and was affirmed by President Joseph Estrada.
The agreement became official in 1999 after it was ratified by the Senate.
Following the VFA, the Philippines, and the United States also entered into another agreement.
And because the VFA still limits the presence of American forces and their access to military bases in the Philippines.
Another deal, called the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), was created, allowing the United States to have a so-called temporary entry and access to the Philippine military bases.
