A Philippines-Canada Visiting Forces Agreement? More than meets the eye

A Philippines-Canada Visiting Forces Agreement? More than meets the eye

Bayan Canada Organizing Committee

On the 31st of July, a very strange small piece of news, a mere eleven sentences, appeared on GMA news reporting that the Philippines and Canada were in ongoing discussions regarding a visiting forces agreement (VFA). You’d be forgiven if you missed the deadly import of the article especially since only six sentences are actually about the VFA. Without explanation the rest of the article switches to a news report that both countries signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on disaster response. The disingenuous suggestion here is that the VFA is like this MoA, which astonishingly, Glenn J. Rabonza, National Disaster Coordinating Council executive officer, acting as Canada’s public relations officer, declares to BusinessWorld as having been done by Canada with “… no other agenda … out of their goodwill.” We don’t know if Rabonza has suddenly become a mind reader or privy to the inner workings of the Canadian state but he should read this same GMA news article that confirmed from “Rear Admiral Tyrone Pile, head of the Canadian naval fleet, [that] Ottawa was keen on participating in maritime security exercises in Asia-Pacific” for the ostensive reason that the “Philippine[s] … is along maritime and oil routes from the Middle East to the Pacific and to North America.” So there is an agenda after all though it might not be what is claimed, as Canada does not depend on Middle East oil.

Let’s cut to the chase. The VFA is an agreement between both governments, not a treaty mind you, that will allow, in this case Canada, to make use of any Philippine port, sea and air, at Philippine expense, while Canadian soldiers remain under Canadian jurisdiction. In other words, Canada will have pretty much carte blanche to use the Philippines as a military base and staging post, have its soldiers commit any outrage in the Philippines immune to Philippine laws, while we pay for it all! If that’s not violation of our sovereignty then nothing is. Of course, it also increases the chance of the Philippines being attacked by Canada’s enemies, and she has plenty because she meddles so often in the internal affairs of other people. Let’s not forget that the VFA itself violates the provision of our constitution. And, there is the matter of something like another Nicole Subic Bay rape case. Finally, we wonder why Canada needs to be able to access any part of the country with its military.

But no self-respecting president of a free republic would give away their country’s sovereignty and unnecessarily endanger their people! Only a megalomaniac out only for herself would do that! But that’s just what we are cursed with: a liar who stole the elections and looks at nothing at emptying the state coffers and overseeing the systematic murder of unarmed civilians to stay in power and amass untold wealth. This non-choice of the Filipino people demeans the office of the Presidency and annuls its very rationality for the caprice of her personal interests. If that isn’t treason then we don’t know what treason is. Alas, like most such deceits, the price will not be paid by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA hereafter), but by the Filipino people: loss of sovereignty, increased endangerment, deterioration of law and order, fall in the already low standard of living, and the rush to alienation in foreign destinations; that is, unless we the Filipino people do something about it.

This is why Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (or Bayan for short) is now being organized in Canada. Bayan Canada is being launched on September 21, 2008 in Toronto and the Bayan Canada organizing committee would like to invite all patriotic Filipinos to join us in this happy occasion. Bayan Canada vows to do its utmost to unite all patriotic Filipinos in Canada in order to end the illegitimate and destructive rule of GMA for a transition council to implement the social, economic and political reforms so desperately needed to save our country.

23 August 2008