Galvez kinompronta ni Imee sa EDCA site malapit sa Taiwan Strait

Galvez kinompronta ni Imee sa EDCA site malapit sa Taiwan Strait

March 2, 2023 @ 10:28 AM 4 weeks ago


MANILA, Philippines – Kinompronta ni Senate foreign relations committee chairperson Imee Marcos nitong Miyerkules, Marso 1 ang ulat na magtatayo umano ng Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site sa Northern Luzon malapit sa Taiwan Strait.

“Are we talking about the escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait as the number one issue?” tanong ni Marcos sa Senate briefing sa mga bagong EDCA sites.

Ani Marcos, ang tatlong EDCA sites ay itatayo sa Cagayan, isa sa Isabela at Zambales.

“It clearly indicates that this is the first line in the Taiwan attacks that are projected. Is that correct?” tanong ni Marcos kay Defense officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez Jr.

“I just need to understand why are you choosing all these sites in Northern Luzon when in fact if it were West Philippine Sea deterrence that were uppermost in our minds, the protection of our territorial sovereignty, surely it should be in the western sector not purely in the northern,” pagpapatuloy pa ng senador.

Bilang tugon, sagot naman ni Galvez na patuloy pang pinag-uusapan ang mga lugar kung saan ilalagay ang apat na bagong EDCA sites.

“We might change the locations depending on the agreement that we are having in the security sector,” tugon ni Galvez.

Nang tanungin naman kung nasa Northern Luzon nga ang isa sa apat na EDCA sites, sagot niya, “it is still unidentified location.”

Kasabay ng diskusyon sa mga bagong EDCA sites, sinabi ni Galvez na totoo ang nasabing numero ng mga idadagdag na site.

Patungkol naman sa mga lugar, sinabi niya na may sinusunod silang kaukulang criteria, at isa na dito ay dapat na maisasagawa dito ang Balikatan exercises.

Hindi naman natuwa si Marcos sa paliwanag na ito ni Galvez.

“Nag-shift na po ba tayo at hindi na yung territorial integrity kundi yung escalation ng tension sa Taiwan Straits ang ating tinutumbok nito?” tanong ni Marcos.

Hindi naman masagot ni Galvez ang naturang katanungan.

“Gentlemen, what is our fight with Taiwan? What is our fight with Taiwan? I don’t understand. So why are we doing all the military exercises in Northern Luzon– a stone’s throw or at least a boat ride away from Taiwan,” sinabi pa ni Marcos.

“Then clearly, the new expanded EDCA is addressing the escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Straits, not Philippine interest in the West Philippine Sea. We are therefore going to fight for another country, the United States? Is that correct, sir?” pagpapatuloy ng senador.

“The reason why we choose the northern part for Balikatan exercises because…our preparation for disaster is very significant considering that we have seen a lot of typhoons, a lot of flooding, a lot of earthquakes happening in the country,” paliwanag naman ni Galvez.

Sa kaparehong pagdinig, ipinahayag naman ni Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba ang kanyang pagtutol sa posibleng pagtatayo ng EDCA site sa kanyang probinsya.

Ani Mamba, sapat na ang tulong ng Armed Forces of the Philippines sa oras ng kalamidad.

“Please do not ram into our throats what is not acceptable to us because binobola-bola lang po tayo e. Hindi na po totoo ito,” ani Mamba.

“China never invaded us, never conquered us. Wala kaming problema sa kanila. Sa totoo lang they are very helpful. I never sought their help during disasters but China came in yung federation of Chinese Chamber nagpapadala ng rice.. During our disaster, they are our neighbors. Please, do not let us tell them that they are our enemies because of the United States of America. Let them have their own war but we can never be an enemy to our neighbor,” dagdag niya. RNT/JGC