by Philstar.com
Militant group Bayan on Wednesday questioned the entry of a US nuclear-powered attack submarine in the former Subic Nava Base in Zambales, which is near the disputed Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag shoal.
"Virtual basing and hosting of US warships are being justified by the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement. Philippine ports like Subic are again providing logistics support for US ships. We might see more of these port calls now that the US is rebalancing towards Asia,†said Renato Reyes Jr., Bayan secretary general.
The USS North Carolina (SSN 777), a Virginia class attack submarine, is presently docked at the former US bases in Subic, according to reports.
“The Philippines is de facto hosting US warships presumably armed with nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The entry of the nuclear submarine may be in contravention of the Philippine constitutional ban on nuclear weapons. The problem is that under the VFA, the US neither confirms nor denies that its ships carry nuclear weapons. However, the presumption is that they do, especially the more advanced ships,†Reyes said.
Reyes said Article II, Section 8 of the Philippine Constitution states that “the Philippines, consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.â€
Reyes added that the entry of the high-tech US submarine may have negative repercussions in the Philippines' dispute with China, saying perceived US involvement may further escalate tensions.
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