US intervention in Mindanao- Political science expert says critics will use this to pin down Duterte

Last Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte stated that he was not aware that US government extends support to the government forces, but the Armed Forces said that US counterparts provides technical assistance and through intelligence.

Antonio Contreras, a political science expert cited Article III of the Mutual Defense Treaty: “The parties through their foreign ministers or their deputies, will consult them together from time to time regarding the implementation of this Treaty and whenever in the opinion of either of them the territorial integrity, political independence or security of either of the parties is threatened by external armed attack in the Pacific.”



Contreras also said that the US sent their team to provide technical assistance in pursuant to the MDT obligations.

He also cleared that he’s not defending the US for its intervention, but because the Philippines has a treaty with US and the ISIS situation in Mindanao is now a global problem. He further said that the ISIS threat in the Philippines is real.

Contreras also stated the following: “ If you are a Christian, think of how ISIS will terrorize your faith; if you are a woman, think of how you will be forced to submit to its extremist norms; If you are a gay, think of how you will be persecuted and worse, even killed; If you are a liberal intellectual, you will be branded an enemy.”



He also stated in his post that PRRD did not asked for help, but the DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and the US extended its support because of the treaty and anything about ISIS  also concerns their government.

He fully elaborated the situation as follows:

“May inaway kang kaibigan. Tapos may nangaaway sa iyo na kaaway din ng kaibigan mo. Di ka humingi ng tulong, kundi ang anak mo. Dumating ang inaway mong kaibigan para tulungan ka. Hindi mo tatanggihan. Pero para malinaw sa lahat na hindi ikaw ang bumigay, ano ba sasabihin mo. Hindi ba ganito: "Oi, hindi ako humingi ng tulong dyan ha. Di ko nga alam yan. Pero andyan na. Alangan naman tanggihan ko e friend ko naman yan at may pinagsamahan naman kami."

Source:  Antonio P. Contreras

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