osted on March 16, 2014 09:36:54 PM US military presence backed by House leaders

March 17, 2014 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

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Nation Posted on March 16, 2014 09:36:54 PM US military presence backed by House leaders  Facebook Tweet LinkedIn Google + ShareThis  TWO HOUSE leaders yesterday backed the "almost done deal" on the framework agreement that would allow greater United States (US) military presence in the country.   This as they noted that the soon-to-be-sealed agreement for the increased rotationalpresence (IRP) of American forces in the Philippines is a "credible deterrent" to China’s intensified aggression over the disputed South China Sea (which the Philippine government now calls the West Philippine Sea). In an interview, House Deputy Speaker and Isabela Rep. Giorgidi B. Aggabao (4th district) said: "The American presence is a credible deterrent. This is true in South Korea where the American bases there provided a strong counterfoil to North Korean aggression. It is also true in Japan where the American base in Okinawa presents a solid deterrent to a Chinese grab of the disputed Senkaku Islands." "While I don’t espouse the grant of any basing rights for Americans in our country -- not just yet -- there is no question their increased rotational presence in the country is the next best thing to daunt the Chinese," he pointed out. For his part, House Deputy Majority Leader and party-list Rep. Sherwin N. Tugna (CIBAC) citing the successive aggressive moves of China -- two Filipino vessels driven out of Ayungin Shoal by the Chinese Coast Guard and the water cannon incident during which the Chinese Coast Guard drove Filipino fishermen away from the disputed Scarborough Shoal -- stressed the need for more US troop presence in the country. "For me, our country should continue with the agreement as it would help in training(by the US forces) our Armed Forces to protect our territory against intrusion of other countries. This will also help in protecting against internal conflicts in our country," he said. Meanwhile, party-list Rep. Jonathan A. Dela Cruz (Abakada) warned that the agreement could further escalate the already tension-filled situation. He urged the government to instead push for a more diplomatic approach and consider the negative implications of allowing more US forces in the country, saying this would further taint relations with China. "This is very sensitive, it has the possibility of being misinterpreted by the Chinese as part of an effort to encircle them, and may further degrade our already deteriorating relations with China and other countries in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," he said. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) last week said the Philippines and the United States are inching closer to a framework agreement for the increased rotational presence of American forces in the Philippines. The agreement seeks to boost the Philippines’ external defense capability amid the tensions between the Philippines and China over territories in the South China Sea. The accord would allow US soldiers to remain in the country on a rotational basis. Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin has refused to give a specific date when the IRP Framework Agreement will be signed but US President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the country in late April. -- I.C. C. Delavin