The Impact of the Termination of the 1947 Military Bases Agreement (MBA) on the R.P.-U.S. Special Military Relations

Abstract

On July 4, 1946, the Philippines was once again liberated from the hands of a foreign country; however chat time, from the hands of the United States of America. On that same day, the Treaty of General Relations between the two countries was signed and started the special relations of the two. Upon the signing of the Military Bases Agreement (MBA) ·in 1947, the Philippines and the United States began to establish their special military relations. The MBA of 1947 was very influential not only to the security alliance of the two but also to their economic partnership. Concomitant to the Agreement were military aid to help improve the Armed Forces of the Philippines and economic aid to help the Philippines in its quest to build a nation which was newly-independent and greatly-devastated by World War II. The MBA, for most Filipinos, brought predicament to the Philippines. It was in fact the greatest source of irritation among the other agreements that constitute special security alliance of the two. Therefore in 1991, as had amended, the MBA was terminated or was expired, and the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security which would have extended the presence of the U.S. military bases in the country was rejected by the Philippines Senate in 1992. The termination of the MBA affected the R.P.-U.S. special military relations and the Philippines economy as well, Because of this, deliberately or not, defense relationship of the two countries became less active and the Philippines was downgraded as il became less important to the U.S. as a component in its security network in the Asia-Pacific region. It means lesser military aid and lesser economic aid; however, it can also mean lesser encroachment Philippine sovereignty.