June 12: What’s there to celebrate?

By Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Streetwise | BusinessWorld

Independence Day has never been more of a sham and a shame than it is today, 116 years since the Declaration of Independence against Spanish colonization “under the protection of the Mighty and Humane North American Nation” and 68 years since the so-called “grant” of Philippine Independence from US colonization.

Today the ruling regime of President BS Aquino has proven to be one of the most servile to US dictates. This can be seen in the grossly lopsided, treasonous, unconstitutional and dangerous Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), part and parcel of an abjectly dependent foreign policy tailored to US geopolitical interests. It is also displayed in the perpetuation of US-imposed neoliberal economic policies — liberalization, deregulation, privatization and denationalization — that continue to wreak havoc on our people’s lives and livelihood.

In turn, the regime is certified by the United States as “democratic,” “reforming” and a model of “good governance.” Such a seal of good housekeeping translates to sizeable US economic and military aid, close cooperation in counterinsurgency, aka counter-terrorist operations, and a state visit by no less than US President Barack Obama to cement the two countries’ “special,” if dysfunctional, historical relations.

After all, Mr. Aquino has all the necessary elite credentials — scion to one of the biggest landed clans as well as heir to the Cojuangco-Aquino political dynasty. He is a member of the ruling classes of big landlords, big business interests and traditional politicians that the US has nurtured since colonial times.

Bureaucrat capitalism is a proven lucrative business venture in the Philippines. There are just so many ways one can make money using one’s power to approve government contracts, to regulate or deregulate the business environment in favor of vested interests, and to make a profit out of corrupt dealings through ghost projects, substandard infrastructure or overpriced supplies and services.

Among the ways corrupt politicians rake in money, the pork barrel system is currently the most conspicuous and notorious. It was born during the American colonial period, when it was introduced through the 1922 Public Works Act. It grew over the years until it matured into the milking cow for corruption and patronage politics through all the supposedly democratic post-Marcos regimes.

The BS Aquino regime is no exception. In fact, it holds the record for the largest presidential pork and has even enlarged the pork allocations of congressmen and senators several times over. It used more than a trillion pesos in presidential pork to buy canine loyalty from national and local politicians as well as military and police officials; ensure the passage of pet bills; engineer the victory of political allies; leverage favorable judicial decisions; and occasionally impeach other government officials.

All these should be enough to indict BS Aquino for corruption. But he even exacerbates things by adamantly defending the pork barrel system, justified its use for patronage politics, and refused to do anything until public outrage over the Janet Napoles pork barrel scam threatened to explode in his face.

Filipinos riled by the continuing lack of accountability for the pork barrel scam held a protest demonstration on Independence Day. Their call: “Lahat ng sangkot, dapat managot! (All involved should be scared) No to Aquino cover-up!”

Other protest rallies were held to decry not only the continuing US stranglehold on its former colony, but to denounce the EDCA as a “throwback to US colonial occupation.” The nationalist alliance BAYAN, anti-bases legislators and other patriots have taken Aquino administration officials to the Supreme Court over the constitutionality of the EDCA.

Indeed, genuine love of country must translate to opposition to EDCA because it derogates national sovereignty, territorial integrity and even national dignity. The terms of EDCA mean an unlimited and unspecified number of “agreed locations” where an unlimited number of US forces, as well as private defense contractors, may come and go; where an unspecified and uncontrolled number of war equipment (including nuclear and other weapons systems) may be stockpiled and launched; where the US forces “exercise all rights and authorities” to ensure operational control and defense; and where the Philippine judicial system does not have jurisdiction in cases of crimes committed against Filipinos, on Philippine soil.

To top it all, the EDCA has an unlimited duration — “an initial term of 10 years, and therefore, it shall continue in force automatically unless terminated by either Party.”

What does the Philippines get in return? Not compensation for the use of our national territory: the “agreed locations” are free of charge. Not an upgrade of the Philippine military’s defense capabilities: all the war materiel, especially the high-tech gadgetry, are for the exclusive use of US forces and may be brought in and taken out at any time. Not even a promise of US military preemptive or retaliatory action in the wake of China’s encroachment in the West Philippine Sea.

What we get is the real danger of such “agreed locations” being magnets of attack from the America’s numerous enemies. And something else: that EDCA provides the legal and political cover for increasing direct US military intervention in Philippine affairs.

All in all, it means that under the BS Aquino regime and contrary to national interest, the US is being handed on a silver platter all economic and military privileges. At least the previous administrations asserted some semblance of sovereignty. This is more than enough reason to rage and march in protest, rather than engage in a shallow and meaningless celebration of Independence Day.

Published in Business World
June 12, 2014