IDSI’s Statement on US VP Kamala visit to Palawan & proposed additional EDCA bases

World needs more bridges, not bases.

We call for steady leadership, diplomacy, and peace from all parties, amid worrisome developments and some parties provoking for military escalation in our region, all over the world.

Let us learn from the wisdom of our ASEAN neighbors who continue to engage all major powers to the benefit of their national interest and development, without provoking or alienating any country…

Despite its diversity, ASEAN has been relatively peaceful for decades because it was able to balance the great power politics of the Cold War, allowing it to become the fastest growing region in the world. Our neighbors are engaging constructively not only with China and the US, but with Russia, India, Australia, etc..

Today, we need to focus on building more bridges, not bases. On economic cooperations, not military provocations.

Let us not repeat the same mistake. The Philippines has experienced the cost of being part of a proxy war between two powers. In World War 2, Manila was the most destroyed in Asia because Japan and the US bombed each other in the Philippines, leading to almost a million Filipinos dead — with no added benefit to the Filipinos, more for the US! Other Southeast Asian nations had far less deaths and damages.

None of our ASEAN neighbors accepted the US offer to add military presence or join in castigating or isolating other nations. Kamala has the lowest approval rating in modern times, under a President with also low support from his own people, similar to House Speaker Pelosi going to Taiwan to improve her electoral chances but at the cost of heightening tensions in and militarising Asia… Biden’s 2022 National Strategic Security announced an all out war vs China (currently on all fronts, initiated by the US, except for direct military confrontation)...

The Philippines must avoid becoming the unnecessary central battleground of any powers.

A mutual defense agreement under current terms requires the Philippines to enter in any fight of the US and her allies regardless if we agree or not. Since China has no interest in invading the Philippines, what benefit is there for the Philippines to give up its sovereign decision-making to the US?

Despite a disputed area between China and the Philippines, we have achieved relative peace under compromise and negotiations, our Filipino fishermen reported increase catch, on top of very significant economic benefits to develop our economy (which keep growing across various sectors in trade, technology, infrastructure, agriculture, education, etc.)— all gained, not from military alliances, but from peaceful engagements.

The cost of the next conflict will be unimaginable, and not for the benefit of our Filipino people.