The presence of the aircraft carrier, the USS Ronald Reagan and its warships, in Philippine waters is not only a mockery of the constitution but is also a form of intimidation and opportunism by the US forces in pushing its own agenda here in the Philippines.

It is a clear example of opportunism when they sent in their warship in the pretext of helping disaster areas when it really pulled out from Hong Kong a day earlier because it feared the effects of typhoon Frank. It used the calamity and the humanitarian and relief efforts ongoing in the Western Visayas region to proceed towards our territorial waters.

Some may have missed the subtle message of intimidation in the warship's deployment to President Arroyo while she visited the US: to not to ask too much or else face the reality that an aircraft carrier group's main purpose is to wage war and flex military might and not to effect humanitarian aid.

Not only is an aircraft carrier group in our territory overkill, it runs counter to the spirit of the anti-nuclear weapons provisions of the Constitution. After much public outcry, the president ordered off the warship from our waters and the US ambassador quoted their policy of nuclear weapons deployment to stave off questions regarding the presence of nuclear weapons in their warship. Small airlifts and ships continue to move back and forth from the carrier bringing in troops and materials to Western Visayas.

An aircraft carrier group is a mobile military base that can project military might over a big area in the ocean. The USS Ronald Reagan group has more air and naval power than most ASEAN members. Its presence in the region, and now in our country, reflect the need for the US to project visible and psychological presence and underline their “commitment”. Overt military presence is a reminder that one does not need formal political control over a territory to exercise political and economic control over a country.

It can be likened to a loaded gun pointed at the government and to us as a people. Its message: take our “aid” whether you want it or need it. US presence intimidates and gives coercive power for them to gain concessions from the host country and allows it to interfere, in most cases with impunity, in internal affairs

The forward positioning of US presence does not only ensure that it can provide timely and rapid intervention but also serves as forward tripwires, guaranteeing US intervention in a crisis. In previous wars, US military presence is usually seen as a precursor to intervention and war. That the US call the Philippines its “second front in the war against terror” and that it has periodic and overlapping joint exercises with it is not an accident, it does this to strengthen its position in this country and in Southeast Asia.

Access agreements such as Mutual Logistics Support Agreements (MLSA) or Acquisition Cross-Servicing Agreements (ACSA) makes available the use of host nation resources to support the day-to-day and future operational requirements of the US. It also provide support for joint training and exercises, “constabulary” operations, humanitarian and disaster relief operations. These provide the US access to basing and infrastructure necessary for its force projection without the need for permanent presence.

In South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia, access to key host nation facilities, ports and airfields are critical to the US security objectives in the Asia-Pacific. The Changi Naval Station allows US naval combatants and include a pier which can accommodate US aircraft carriers. Thailand is an important refueling and transit point for operations in the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. Australia has long provided key access to facilities for US unilateral and combined exercises. The US makes 60-80 port calls per year to Hong Kong for minor ship maintenance and repair.

We do need international aid at this time but we do not need the opportunistic military projection by the forces of the US. If the US government and other countries are indeed serious in helping out, they instead focus in helping our civilian disaster efforts by providing material and technical assistance.

You would close your doors on a gun-toting thug who want to enter your home, even if he is saying that he wants to help you. In this case, it is in these times of national tragedy that we should exercise national sovereignty in asking for international help. We should not allow the emergency to be used as an excuse for other countries to push their own agenda.