Rejection of Subic Bay Treaty
It should be pointed out that the majority of Filipino senators who rejected the treaty granting the extension of the U.S. bases in the Philippines (front page, Sept. 16) did not do so because of anti-American sentiments but rather as a serious step toward self-determination.
We are seeing for the first time in our nation’s political history an august majority that finally took great courage against a politically suicidal move and the vexing and intimidating moods of U.S. foreign policy--real leaders unmindful of being elected and/or reelected into office by saying no to their traditional share of the corrupting largess of the mighty U.S. dollar.
The much too often anticipated economic chaos through the loss of jobs by the closing of said bases becomes moot. The Filipino diaspora initially heard those arguments when there were only a few Filipino workers overseas before--now there are more than 350,000 workers in the Middle East alone.
Hence, the scare tactics of the senator’s detractors and that of the myopic view of Cory Aquino and her league of bogus people power will not work out this time.
JIMMY D. BAUTISTA
Secretary General
Liberal Party of the Philippines-Overseas
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