DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 27 June) – Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte claimed that Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian had warned him that “the Philippines will not be spared from Beijing’s wrath” if Manila will allow the United States to utilize its military installations to launch an “aggressive action” against China.
During his program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” aired over SMNI News on Monday, Duterte said the Chinese envoy conveyed to him during a recent meeting that even the Philippines, one of the strongest allies of China, would become a target once US forces initiate an attack against Beijing.
“I reminded him again that the Philippines does not have a quarrel with China,” Duterte said, “but his answer to me was, “if you provide places where there can be an aggressive action to China, the Philippines would always be a target.”
Duterte claimed meeting with Huang “regularly.”
“I am not a lackey of China. I do not want to be subservient to any country. Neither would I be protector or spokesman of America. I am just a Filipino,” he said.
The former president urged both the Philippine and US governments to inform the Filipino people about the arrangements involving US military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
A report posted at the US Department of Defense website on April 3 announced that Washington was planning to expand new military sites in the Philippines. It identified the four new EDCA sites as the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; Balabac Island in Palawan; and Lal-lo Airport in Cagayan. https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3350297/new-edca-sites-named-in-the-philippines/
The locations already in the agreement are the Cesar Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan and Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, it said.
Duterte claimed the EDCA sites have grown to 17 locations across the country.
“In the interest of the public’s right to know, there should be an open discussion. The Americans should come clean and give us a truthful narrative or an explanation and identify the places where they have installed the bases here in the Philippines,” he said.
He said the Marcos Jr. administration should be transparent and open for discussion because the issue would affect the Filipino people, who “would be facing a war not of our own making” if tensions between US and China escalate.
Duterte, who disallowed EDCA during his time as President, said that the US could bring “nuclear warheads” to its military installations in the country.
“I said by granting America several bases, we can be sure, and I am sure as the sun rises in the east, that these bases… will have nuclear warheads,” he said.
Duterte, who pivoted to China during his term, feared that the “the next war or wars will be fought mainly using nuclear warheads.”
“We don’t know but with EDCA, they might be bringing in some right now. There is no accounting of the weapons in the hands of Americans to use against China if war breaks out. But we can be sure and it would be stupid for us or so naive to think that there is none,” he said.
Duterte said that the consequence of a US attack on China “would be a retaliation with nuclear arms against the Philippines.”
“You (US) who are farther away have anti-missiles. You can shoot them down before they can enter your airspace. The problem is here in the Philippines. What are the stakes for us? Nothing,” he said.
He said a nuclear weapon could affect a “wide area,” leaving radioactive materials that could last for 50 years.
“It would not only be destructive. I believe that the Philippines would be a graveyard, if war comes. Remember that,” he said.
Duterte said that he does not welcome US military installations in the country because “I do not welcome this disaster,” apparently referring to the supposed catastrophic consequence of a possible war between US and China. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
