9 na US bases, pasok sa ‘Pinas.. Sasot kay P-BBM: Tuta ka ng Kano!

ni Mars Santos | Pebrero 7, 2023

Nagbabala ang Foreign Policy Analyst na si Sass Rogando Sasot na posibleng maging target ng China ang Pilipinas kung matutuloy ang pagbibigay ng karagdagan pang access sa militar ng Amerika sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas.

Ayon kay Sasot, kung itutok ng China ang missile arsenal nito sa mga lokasyon kung nasaan ang puwersa ng Estados Unidos, tiyak damay ang Pilipinas.

“So crudely speaking, we are another target for China in order to exhaust its missile arsenal. So, can President Marcos, Jr. tell us how many of us will die? How our economy would look like after the dust settled? How are we going to rebuild this republic?” ani Sasot sa Pandesal Forum sa Kamuning Bakery Cafe sa Quezon City.

Giit pa ni Sasot kay Marcos, hindi lang sa ekonomiya ito puwedeng magdulot ng matinding epekto kundi maging sa maraming buhay na maaaring mawala.

Ani Sasot, hindi Amerika o China ang pagpipilian dito kundi ang pagiging tau-tauhan o panindigan ang soberenya.

“Aren’t we supposed to be having a public debate whether this is the future we want to have for our country? Does President Marcos, Jr. have the guts to stand up to the United States of America and say ‘no’, I will not allow the Philippines to be used in your war? Shouldn’t Congress be intervening about this? The choice is not between China or the United States, but between being a pawn and being a sovereign,” dagdag pa ni Sasot.

Apela niya kay P-BBM, maging bayani at panindigan ang para sa kabutihan ng mamamayang Pilipino.

“Heroes are often those who emerged triumphant after a tragedy. But the greater hero is the one who prevented a tragedy from happening in the first place. Mr. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. be that hero for our country. Huwag ka nang magpaka-tuta,” pagtatapos ni Sasot.

Matatandaan na upang lalong mapaigting ang pagpapatupad ng Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) ay nagkasundo ang Pilipinas at Estados Unidos na magtatag ng apat na military base ng sundalong Kano sa bansa.

Kasalukuyang may limang Philippine military bases sa ilalim ng EDCA, kabilang na rito ang Benito Ebuen Air Base sa Cebu, Lumbia Airport sa Cagayan de Oro, Fort Magsaysay sa Nueva Ecijia, Antonio Bautista Air Base sa Palawan at Basa Air Base sa Pampanga.

Pangulong Marcos, makikipagkita kay Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi

ni Lolet Abania | July 5, 2022

Makikipagkita na si Pangulo Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. kay Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi upang mapalakas pa ang ties sa pagitan ng Beijing at Manila.

“Yes I will meet with him and the agenda I’m sure will be to strengthen ties with China and the Philippines and of course, to find ways to resolve the conflicts that we have,” pahayag ni Pangulong Marcos sa isang press briefing ngayong Martes.

“One of the ways that I will consistently suggest is that we have our relationship not only on one dimension, ‘yun lang West Philippine Sea, let’s add to that,” sabi pa ng Pangulo.

Department of National Defense nakatanggap ng P1 bilyong halaga ng military equipment mula sa China

ni Jasmin Joy Evangelista | February 10, 2022

Nakatanggap ang Department of National Defense (DND ng P1 billion worth ng military equipment mula sa China para sa rehabilitation ng Marawi City at iba pang humanitarian assistance at disaster response operations nitong Miyerkules.

Ang equipment ay donated ng Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China, ayon kay Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

“This military grant from China speaks volumes on how our two nations can be civil, diplomatic, and friends despite some issues on territorial claims,” ani Lorenzana sa ceremonial handover ng donated equipment.

Ang mga naturang donasyon ay binubuo ng iba’t ibang rescue and relief equipment, drone systems, detectors, water purification vehicles, ambulances, firetrucks, X-ray machines, EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) robots, bomb disposal suits, transport vehicles, backhoes, dump trucks, forklifts, at earthmovers.

Dumating ang shipment nito noong Enero 16 bilang parte ng pangako ni Chinese Gen. Wei Fenghe noong bumisita ito sa Maynila noong 2020.

Samantala, inaasahan ding ide-deliver sa mga susunod na panahon ang second batch ng mga equipment na nagkakahalagang 54 million renminbi (nasa P435 million).