Philippine leaders against U.S. bases
NZPA-Reuter Manila Philippine leaders agree two big United States military bases in the Philippines should be removed, a congressional source said. “The sentiment is to terminate the (bases) agreement ... because of a genuine feeling for sovereignty,” said the House of Representatives source, who declined to be identified. But Gaston Sigur, United States Assistant Under-secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said a 30-minute meeting with President Corazon Aquino had not led him to understand the Government wanted the bases out. The congressional source said an informal committee composed of Mrs Aquino, the Foreign Secretary, Raul Manglapus, and top congressmen had met several
times to discuss the bases issue. “The committee has raised several possibilities but termination is the strongest sentiment. The prevailing feeling is so strong. I don’t think there is a dissenting vote,” the source said. The bases treaty will expire in September, 1991. Manila and Washington are scheduled to open treaty review talks this year. There was no official comment on the source’s remarks. Mr Sigur said after meeting President Aquino that he was given no indication of Philippine sentiment on the future of the bases. “We discussed the bases and I mentioned to the President that (United States) Ambassador (Nicholas) Platt will be the senior representative for the bases review,” he said. He did not say when tfte review would begin.
About 16,000 United States servicemen are stationed at Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay Naval Base north of Manila. They are the largest United States military bases overseas. Mrs Aquino has said in the past Manila would keep its options open on the renewal of the bases agreement. United States officials have said they see few alternatives to the Philippine bases in the Pacific region close enough to Vietnam, where the Soviet Union had established a big warm-water naval base at the Cam Ranh Bay. The presence of the bases has come under growing criticism . from Leftist groups and some moderates in the Aquino Government who think Washington should step up its aid to the Philippines to help the debt-ridden country. • ab'
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Press, 28 January 1988, Page 40
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354Philippine leaders against U.S. bases Press, 28 January 1988, Page 40
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