Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE RESOLUTION No. 382

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Introduced by Reps. TEDDY A. CASIÑO and NERI JAVIER

COLMENARES
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_

RESOLUTION
DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO CONDUCT
AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE
STATIONING OF THE US NUCLEAR-POWERED USS GEORGE
WASHINGTON NAVAL FLEET CARRIER IN MANILA BAY LAST
SEPTEMBER 4 TO 7, 2010 WHICH EXPLICITLY VIOLATED THE
CONSTITUTIONAL BAN ON THE ENTRY OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
IN THE COUNTRY, EXPOSED THE PEOPLE TO THE DANGER OF A
NUCLEAR-RELATED DISASTER AND UNDERMINED PHILIPPINE
SOVEREIGNTY

WHEREAS, the country upholds a nuclear-free policy as provided for

in Article II, Sec. 8 of the Constitution which states: “The Philippines,
consistent with the national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of
freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory”;

WHEREAS, last September 4 to 7, 2010, the nuclear-powered USS

George Washington (CVN 73) Naval Fleet Carrier arrived in Manila
under the pretext of a “goodwill visit.” It had a 6,000-strong force and
is part of the US Navy's 7th Fleet permanently deployed in the Asia-
Pacific region, particularly Japan;

WHEREAS, the USS George Washington belongs to the Nimitz-class

supercarriers which are a class of ten nuclear-powered aircraft carriers
of the US Navy. They are the largest capital ships in the world. The USS
George Washington fleet is made up of four ships – aircraft carrier USS
George Washington, cruiser USS Cowpens, and destroyers USS John S.
McCain and the USS McCampbell. Its use of nuclear power enable it to
operate for 20 years without refueling and is predicted to have a
service life of over 50 years;
WHEREAS, the USS George Washington is a main component of the
Carrier Strike Group under Task Force 70 of the Battle Force Seventh
Fleet. The supercarrier forms part of the critical combat elements of
the U.S. Seventh Fleet as the US Navy’s only permanently forward
deployed and largest carrier strike group, designated Carrier Strike
Group Five (CSG 5). An embarked carrier air wing consisting of up to
around 90 aircraft is normally deployed on board. The air wings' strike
fighters are primarily F/A-18F Super Hornets and F/A-18C Hornets.
These planes are capable of carrying the B-57 or B-61 nuclear bomb.
The

vessel itself carry short-range defensive weaponry, used for anti-

aircraft warfare and missile defense;

WHEREAS, Task Force 70 Commander Rear Admiral Kevin Donegan

said that the US had 130 port visits in the country in 2008. Their stay
likewise included command level visits, routine ship replenishment,
maintenance of shipboard systems and crew liberty;

WHEREAS, the port visits are part of the US’ permanent military
presence in the country made possible through the onerous Visiting
Forces Agreement which some Philippine legislators want abrogated
owing to the 11-year old treaty’s provisions that have undermined the
country’s sovereignty by allowing the basing of foreign troops and
facilities; the flying in of warplanes; visits of combat troops and special
operations forces; operation of intelligence, surveillance and satellite
facilities including unmanned aerial vehicles, and access to airfields
and camps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines;

WHEREAS, the attendant humanitarian missions that come with the

US troops’ visits are in line with the US Counterinsurgency Guide to
make US military intervention more acceptable and palatable to the
people, especially in areas that are known strongholds of armed
revolutionary movements including the New People’s Army and the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front;

WHEREAS, the USS George Washington is, at the very least, a

nuclear-weapons capable vessel and the entry of the nuclear-powered
and nuclear-armed fleet in the country likewise exposed the country to
the potential of a nuclear disaster which the government has hardly
any capacity to deal with;

WHEREAS, the US has maintained a “neither confirm nor deny “ policy

on the presence of nuclear weapons in any of its military facilities and
vessels located in various counties across the globe. US submarines
are known to carry nuclear weapons. These submarines usually
accompany large naval fleets, but their presence in Philippine waters is
largely unknown. It is thus incumbent upon a sovereign nation to order
any visiting force in the country to categorically declare the absence or
presence of nuclear material in pursuit of the Constitutional prohibition
on the matter;

WHEREAS, the presence of US warships and such other war materiel

makes the country vulnerable to external attacks from US enemies, in
the process dragging the Philippines into a war not of our own making;

WHEREAS, the “crew liberty” or rest and recreation aspect of the visit
likewise may serve as a euphemism for the troops’ engagement in
local prostitution. The social cost of the so-called visits has been
starkly illustrated in the infamous “Nicole” rape case involving Lance
Corporal Daniel Smith;

WHEREAS, the Philippines remains an important strategic basing area

for the maintenance of US hegemony in the region. The continued US
military intervention in the country is against national interest and
highlights continuing neo-colonial relationship between the two
countries;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Committee on Foreign

Affairs conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the stationing
of the US nuclear-powered USS George Washington Naval Fleet Carrier
in Manila Bay last September 4 to 7, 2010 which explicitly violated the
constitutional ban on the entry of nuclear weapons in the country,
exposed the people to the danger of a nuclear-related disaster, and
undermined Philippine sovereignty.

Adopted,

TEDDY A. CASIÑO NERI JAVIER COLMENARES

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