Group wants probe on US drone found in Masbate

MANILA, Philippines - Militant group Bayan on Tuesday called on the Philippine Senate to probe the US military’s use of drones in the Philippines, after a drone was discovered in the waters near Masbate province.

"Whether it is an aerial target drone, a surveillance drone or an attack drone, there are no clear guidelines on the use of these unmanned arerial vehicles in Philippine territory. It appears that the US government has been using the Visiting Forces Agreement to gain unrestricted movement in Philippine airspace,"Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said.

Reyes said the US government has claimed the drone is unarmed and is not used for surveillance. This is not the first time a US drone was recovered in Philippine territory.

"The unrestricted use of US drones in Philippine airspace is a violation of our national sovereignty. No sovereign nation would allow a foreign power unhampered use of domestic airspace," Reyes added.

He said the use of drones in the Philippines raises questions regarding the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Reyes cited that while Article 8, Section 3 of the VFA provides that "aircraft operated by or for the United States armed forces shall observe local air traffic control regulations while in the Philippines," this does not seem to hold true for US drones.

"We have a situation where a foreign power can fly anytime and anywhere it wants, undertake surveillance, and on occasion, even participate in actual combat operations. Drones underscore US direct involvement in internal conflict in the Philippines," Reyes said.

Last year, the New York Times reported several US officials admitting conducting a drone strike in 2006 in Southern Philippines in an attempt to kill a suspected Indonesian terrorist.

"The use of drones in Philippine airspace is another reason why we should junk the VFA," Reyes said. - Dennis Carcamo