Gazmin: VFA still beneficial to RP

From the Daily Tribune (Nov 14): Gazmin: VFA still beneficial to RP

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has maintained that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States remains beneficial to the Philippines amid the clamor for the scrapping of the pact following the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the waters of Subic Bay by a US Navy contracted vessel. In an interview with Camp Aguinaldo reporters at the DND anniversary celebration Monday, Gazmin said the alleged of dumping of toxic waste by a US Navay-contracted vessel in Subic should be treated as a separate issue from the VFA. He, however, maintained that he respects the opinion of those calling for the scrapping of the VFA and stressed that it is premature to make any conclusion as the investigation by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is ongoing. “Well, that is their opinion but I don’t think the toxic-waste dumping has anything to do with the VFA,” said Gazmin. Asked if the VFA was still beneficial to the Philippines, Gazmin replied “yes, of course.” The clamor for the termination of the VFA was revived following the reported dumping of toxic waste in Subic Bay by MT Glenn Guardian, owned by Malaysia’s Glenn Defense Marine Asia and contracted by the US Navy to collect, treat and dispose waste from US ships stationed in the Philippines. Gazmin stressed that the DND is not conducting its own probe into the matter. “We will have to prove if this is really toxic or is it really organic,” said Gazmin. Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has called for the termination of the VFA, which was immediately supported by some militant organizations. Relatedly, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said the US military should be held equally liable for the dumping in Subic Bay of toxic waste collected from US naval warships by its defense contractor Glenn Defense Marine Philippines last October. The CPP noted reports of the supposed dumping off the waters of Subic Bay of 189,500 liters of untreated human waste and 760 liters of bilge water (oil and grease) collected from US Navy Ship Emory Land. Officials of Glenn Defense Marine claimed that the toxic waste was dumped 37 kilometers off the shore of Subic, well within the territory of the Philippines. “The secret dumping of toxic waste at Subic Bay is an affront to Philippine sovereignty by the US Navy and its defense contractor,” the CPP said. “It shows their utter disregard for the environment and the health of Filipinos. They completely ignored local and international regulations that require the treatment of toxic waste prior to disposal,” it added.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/6859-gazmin-vfa-still-beneficial-to-rp