Foreign Secretary Raul Manglapus said Friday he had rejected the U.S. aid offer of $502 million for use of key military bases and is standing firm on his demand for a $1.2 billion annual compensation.
Manglapus for the first time gave details of his stalled negotiations with U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Platt at a news conference before his departure for the United States on Sunday.The talks, which started April 5, were recessed Aug. 17 to allow Platt to confer with U.S. officials and Manglapus to attend the U.N. general assembly opening next week.
Manglapus confirmed the Philippines is seeking from the United States $1.2 billion for each of the last two years of the treaty covering Clark Air Base and Subic Bay Naval complex.
The 41-year-old treaty expires in 1991. A deal on the bases, for which Washington provides the Philippines $180 million in aid annually, is expected to lead to an extension of the treaty.
"It's no longer a secret that the base of the U.S. position on compensation is what they call `hard cash component,' which is made up of $360 million in military assistance and economic support fund, and about $92million in commodities and $50 million in housung loan guarantees," Manglapus said.
"It's no longer secret that when we suspended the talks last August 17, we found that that item (U.S. counter-offer), if to be regarded as the only proposition offered, would have to be unacceptable because we felt it was not sufficient with our position," Manglapus said.
Asked if the Philippines was standing firm on its $1.2 billion demand, Manglapus said, "yes."
President Corazon Aquino has stressed the current negotiations are for financial arrangements in the last two years of the pact.