American Protectorate

Uniffors features a column by Billy Esposo who speculates on the United States' intentions in Mindanao, his thesis being that "the US stands much to gain in being the Protector of an independent Moroland". As support, Esposo recounts a personal correspondence with members of a Think Tank:

"A Think Tank I meet with regularly (whose members are also consulted by top local leaders and important foreign policy advisers of many countries, including the US ) reported to me that since the term of George Bush Sr., the idea of reviving the idea of creating an independent Moroland was already seriously considered."

His views and those of the Think Tank's are in line with a belief i've had for some time now. In a comment over at Sassy Lawyer's (in the context of the VFA) early last year, i told her:

"Allow me a bit of ‘tin foil hat’ speculation. The VFA needs to be abrogated because for the USA, it is just a stepping stone to the establishment of new military bases. In a few years or decades, rivalry with China will escalate. Taiwan will probably be lost and Luzon and the Visayas will be subject to Finlandization. An independent Mindanao will allow US Bases to be established in General Santos, which will be the new US firebreak in South East Asia. As early as now, we must play no part in these dangerous games." - cvj 10. February 2006 at 10:58 PM

Later that year, over at Manolo's, i also told fellow commenter JM that

"JM, call me paranoid but my worry is that the United States, when faced with a Philippine government unfriendly to forward military bases, will then encourage secession in Mindanao so a friendlier government over there will agree to establish a US Base in General Santos. That is partly the reason why i am allergic all this talk of federalization as our disunity can easily be exploited by the big players. (I don’t think the forward base will be driven by confrontation with North Korea, i think it will be needed because of confrontation with China over Taiwan.)" - cvj October 10th, 2006 at 12:21 am

In contrast, blogger Dean Jorge Bocobo, a strong advocate of American presence in Mindanao, dismissed such speculation and is of the opinion that "the people who are loudly saying the US is building a secret base on Mindanao are really pitiable". However, less than an hour later in the same thread, in what appears to be a tounge-in-cheek endorsement for such an arrangement said that, "I think, like Cuba once did with Guantanamo, we ought to give Basilan to the US...". DJB is a Fil-Am so it is not surprising for him to uphold America's interests. It is up to us Filipinos (without hyphens) to make up our minds on which course of action best serves our own Nation's interest.