Women’s group “Gabriela” says a US military facility in Cagayan de Oro City will bring in prostitution, sexually transmitted diseases, as well as an increase in abandoned children in the region.
With the EDCA agreement in place, the United States and the Philippines will soon set up camp in the city’s old airport facility.
Rhondora Bulosan, Gabriela’s spokesperson of Northern Mindanao Region, issued the warning this week at the 105th year commemoration of International Women’s Day.
“We should learn from our past. Cagayan de Oro City does not deserve a repeat from what happened in Clark and Subic bases. Prostitution and abuses were rampant while the US base enjoyed tax holidays and impunity over cases of rights violations especially on women and children,” said Bulosan.
“American servicemen abandoned around 60,000 Americans claiming that these children were fruits of prostitution and illegitimate affairs without any consideration of the children’s welfare,” she added.
“More children would be born under such conditions, giving rise to the number of street children abandoned by their fathers,” Buloson said.
Bulosan also express her concern over the rise in sexually transmitted diseases that haunt CDO and the surrounding area. Cagayan has been ranked as the second highest level of people with HIV/AIDS.
Buloson went on with her fear mongering by adding that: “In the first quarter of 2016 alone, there were two rape cases involving young women in the city. Our group fears that the situation will aggravate should the American military facility starts to operate in Lumbia.”
EDCA only allows the US to build structures, station troops, store and pre-position weapons and host of other provisions for the next 10 years.
The following list is the regions in which the United States can build, supply and arm the Philippines against attacks and more – they are:
- Nueva Ecija – Fort Magsaysay
- Palawan – Antonio Bautista Airbase
- Clark – Clark Airbase (Pampanga)
- Cagayan de Oro – Lumbia Airfield
- Cebu – Benito Ebuen Airbase
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