MAKABAYAN pinuna ang pakikialam ng Estados Unidos sa South China Sea

MAKABAYAN hits US meddling in South China Sea
Rebuffs China’s domineering tactics in Spratly’s

THE Makabayan bloc in Congress led by BAYAN MUNA Partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño assailed the United States for "meddling into the territorial dispute with China and several Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea."

The coalition also criticized Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III for “political mendicancy” in asking US support on the issue.

“It is not surprising that Pnoy is delighted about the statement of US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas that they will work with the Philippine government on issues including the disputed South China Sea and the Spratlys. What is lamentable is that the US is once again playing interventionist politics and that Malacanang is touting its own political mendicancy,” Casiño said.

He added that “the US should not meddle in the South China Sea dispute. We are no longer the “Little Brown Brothers” from our colonial past with the US. Using the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty as a pretext and invoking “partnership” with us in all subjects as they say do not justify at all US interference in our foreign affairs.”

“In fact, the cold war era treaty with the US should be terminated and the Philippine ambassador to the US should stop shopping for ukay-ukay military surplus from US Foreign Military Sales and Financing,” he pointed out.

The US move, including a US Senate resolution condemning China, Casiño said, “only provokes more tension in the disputed area. The US is indeed engaging and containing China in the region but PNoy should not let our own sovereign country be dragged into their jingoist and hegemonic position.”

“The Declaration of the Conduct of Parties on the South China Sea should be advanced for more cooperation even without the ASEAN or other regional grouping like the APEC where the US has conveniently pushed for its own exploitative interests detrimental to the region. Cooperation in the region, not rivalry and competition, without US interference should be asserted by peoples and nations directly involved in the contested area,” Casiño pointed out.

“The statement of US senators Jim Webb and James Inhofe condemning China on the issue creates more tension. So are the “aggravating words” with China being issued from Malacanang. We should stop this pro-US warmongering,but above all China should stop its domineering and aggressive stance on the Spratly issue” the Makabayan solon said. ###