“The US wanted to carve out a piece of Philippine territory where Philippine laws simply would not apply—a state within a state. Had our government granted that, the flag and constitution we honor would be meaningless inside those 4,000 acres. The fact that they even dared to ask for such sweeping extraterritorial privileges reveals their true colors: Pax Silica is not about economic development, but about securing a military beachhead to counter China.” — BAYAN MUNA Executive Vice President Atty. Carlos Isagani Zarate
