THE military yesterday said the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cagayan Chapter (LMP-CC) is supportive of the inclusion of two areas in Cagayan as sites for the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that can be accessed by American troops in responding to threats.
Maj. Al Anthony Pueblas, commander of the 1st Civil Relations Group of the AFP’s Civil Relations Service, said LMP-CC aired its support to EDCA after thousands of residents protested the inclusion of two Cagayan areas as EDCA sites.
“Prior to the protests… the Cagayan Chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines had already signed a resolution expressing and manifesting their support for EDCA,” said Pueblas.
He said the resolution was signed on February 15, weeks before Malacañang formally announced the four new EDCA sites on April 3.
The four are Lal-lo airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta Ana, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan.
They are in addition to the five sites agreed on by the Philippines and the United States when the EDCA was signed in 2014. The five are Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, and Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.
On February 2, then visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez announced President Marcos Jr’s approval of the four additional EDCA sites. They did not name the areas, pending consultations with stakeholders. But the Armed Forces said in November last year said the Americans wanted five additional EDCA sites — two in Cagayan and one each in Zambales, Palawan and Isabela.
Pueblas showed a copy of the resolution which was signed by LMP-CC president Florante Pascual, mayor of Lal-lo town; and LMP-CC secretary Esterlina Aguinaldo, the mayor of Santa Praxedes town; and 17 other town mayors in the province.
Pueblas said the resolution was signed by the mayors during the first regular meeting of the LMP-CC held on February 15 at the Lal-lo Multi-purpose Center in Lal-lo town.
In the resolution, the mayors said they were supporting EDCA sites in Cagayan due to benefits they may bring to the province, especially in disaster response and security.
“As a result (of the anticipated benefits), the league believes no reason not to express their collective and unanimous support for this effort of the national government,” said Pueblas.
Pueblas stressed that the 2014 EDCA is meant to “advance the implementation of the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty.
“It is designed to promote interoperability, capacity building towards AFP modernization, strengthening AFP for external defense, maritime security, maritime domain awareness and humanitarian assistance and disaster response between the Philippines and it’s defense treaty ally the United States,” said Pueblas.
