PH-US NEGOTIATIONS | Language, equal benefits, equal access hound panels

From InterAksyon (Nov 6): PH-US NEGOTIATIONS | Language, equal benefits, equal access hound panels

After nearly a century of cozy defense partnership, the United States and its former colony the Philippines are apparently finding it’s not that easy to update the terms of endearment as they negotiate an accord expanding US access to the former host of its largest military bases in Asia.

Choice of word or language, equal benefits, and equal access are among the difficult hurdles facing Philippine and United States panels that have thus far met four times, with a fifth meeting still with an unknown schedule.

The panels are working to craft a framework agreement that would give American forces greater access to Philippine military facilities, a notion that has riled nationalists but is seen to be supported by pragmatists who see the US as still the best buffer against perceived Chinese aggression in the region. They reckon that with the Philippine defense modernization program still in fits and starts, an arrangement with the lone superpower could provide some security blanket, literally.

“It is at the stage where there is negotiation. So, it’s a give and take process. Right now, we have not agreed on the issues raised which we call the language. Dun pa lang ay may mga problema na ng konti," Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said in an interview.

Both panels had already met four times since negotiations started last August in the Philippines. The chair of the Philippine panel, Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino, said “Wala pang definite date,” when asked about the fifth meeting.
Batino said negotiations were concentrated “on some core provisions” to ensure the country will not be at a disadvantage.

The other members of the panel are Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta, Defense Assistant Secretary Raymond Jose, and Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan.

Heading the US panel is Eric John, a senior negotiator for Military Agreements of the State Department who was also among the negotiators in the formulation of the PH-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Gazmin dismissed speculations the negotiation might collapse because of some disagreements on certain proposed provisions.

“There are indeed issues they want but which we don’t. Certain things we want but which they reject. We will keep talking till we reach an agreement,” Gazmin said. “I don’t think it will collapse. I am very optimistic na mare-resolve din yung mga issues. Siyempre, medyo mabigat sa umpisa but eventually magkakaroon ng prosesong magkakaintidihan ‘yan. Kaya nga nine-negotiate natin e. Everything should be beneficial to the Philippines, that is the major idea,” he added.

The idea of giving greater access to American forces into Philippine soil cropped up because of the expanding presence of Chinese vessels in Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea (WPS)--in Bajo de Masinloc (Panatag or Scarborough Shoal) in Masinloc, Zambales and Ayungin Reef in Kalayaan Island Group, Palawan.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/74259/ph-us-negotiations--language-equal-benefits-equal-access-hound-panels