THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) expressed support on the plan of President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the implementation of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) between the Philippines and the United States (US).
"The abrogation of the Edca, which allows the US to build military camps and facilities inside Philippine military camps and maintain contingents of armed troops, has become an urgent matter of survival for the Duterte regime," the CPP said in a statement.
The CPP's remark came a day after Duterte questioned the validity of the Edca as it does not contain the signature of his predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III.
The 71-year-old executive chief also revealed that the agreement is now under scrutiny and warned that he may abrogate it.
The Edca, which was signed by former Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and US Ambassador Philip Goldberg in 2014, seeks to bolster the alliance between the Philippines and the US.
It allows the US forces to send troops to the Philippines and build temporary facilities in Philippine bases.
“This Edca, it is an official document, but it was only signed by an aide and Gazmin. It does not bear the signature of the President of the Republic of the Philippines – Aquino. It has no signature of Aquino,” Duterte said.
“We will get out after review of that document, if I find that there is no signature, if you cannot produce a signature bearing the permit to you,” he added.
Earlier, Duterte also said that he would ask the American soldiers to temporarily exit Mindanao to pave way for talks with Moro people, and to end the joint military exercises between the Philippines and the US.
The communist group lamented that the US government “has long carried out both outright and clandestine acts of subversion wherever governments have stood up to defend their national interests.”
It also claimed that the US government “chose to tread a path independent to US geopolitical and economic interests.”
The CPP said the Duterte administration, as well as the Filipinos, should not allow the US to restrain the Philippines, which is a sovereign state.
“The US has arrogantly assumed the self-assigned role of global police and demanded all countries to comply with the rules it has itself set. It has fomented social unrest and has bankrolled so-called social movements with the aim of subverting legitimately elected governments,” the CPP said.
“The Filipino people must unite against any attempt of the US government to undermine Philippine national sovereignty and subvert efforts of the Duterte regime to promote an independent foreign policy,” it added.
The CPP’s political wing National Democratic Front and the government’s peace negotiating panel are now negotiating to come up with a peace deal. The second round of peace talks will be held in Oslo, Norway on October 6. (Sunnex)
