Press Release - Imee calls out "strike three" on PH-U.S. military transparency

Senator Imee Marcos demanded an explanation from the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the shipment of 39 million gallons of fuel of the U.S. Navy from Pearl Harbor to Subic.

Data from several international shipping trackers show that the oil cargo was loaded at Pearl Harbor on the U.S.-registered tanker, Yosemite Trader, on December 20 and entered Philippine territory on Tuesday.

As of Wednesday morning, the Yosemite Trader remained in its position overnight some 50 kilometers west of Subic Bay, according to shipping tracker Marine Vessel Traffic.

Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, lamented that the "inexplicable silence" of both the Philippine and U.S. governments before the voyage only raised suspicions about the pre-positioning of military supplies in the country amid predictions of an eventual war between China and the U.S. over Taiwan.

"Not again! This is strike three in attempting to deprive the Filipino people of the right to know," the senator said.

In hearings held by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations last year, Marcos exposed the clandestine U.S. request to house Afghan refugees in the Philippines and the advisory lapses concerning the multiple landings of C-17 Globemasters of the U.S. Air Force in the country's domestic and international airports.

"The Mutual Defense Treaty is not a license to leave the Filipino people in the dark," the senator declared. "Subic is not an EDCA site, so where in Philippine territory will millions of gallons of oil be stored?"

"This is not just an issue of foreign policy but of Philippine sovereignty, even environmental safety. The government better have a clear explanation for this," Marcos emphasized.

IMEE : "STRIKE THREE" NA SA DI PAGLILINAW NG PH-U.S. MILITARY

PINAGPAPALIWANAG ni Senador Imee Marcos ang Department of National Defense at Armed Forces of the Philippines sa paglipat ng 39 milyong galon ng langis ng U.S. Navy mula sa Pearl Harbor patungong Subic.

Ang mga datos mula sa ilang international shipping tracker ay nagpapakita na ang kargamento ng langis ay nilagak sa U.S.-registered tanker na Yosemite Trader sa Pearl Harbor noong