DEFENSE Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. yesterday said the expansion of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is not just about security matters but also bringing economic benefits to the country, especially to the host communities.
Several groups have expressed opposition to the expansion of EDCA areas, saying the US must not use the Philippines as staging ground for American military intervention in the region.
The expansion, which involves the addition of four EDCA sites on top of the five when the agreement was signed in 2014, was announced by Galvez and visiting US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last Thursday.
The EDCA allows US access to Philippine military bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment, and building of facilities like runways, fuel storage, and military housing.
The expansion came amid tensions between the US and China which has been showing increasing assertiveness in the disputed South China Sea.
In a statement, Galvez said the expansion of EDCA sites will bring about economic benefits to the host local government unit (LGU), aside from enhancing the LGU’s protection from effects of climate change through quicker disaster response and mitigation of frontliners.
“It is our fervent hope that our LGUs will also realize that the EDCA is not just about security. We enjoin them to look into potential foreign investments and economic development that EDCA sites will bring to their communities, as well as the enhancement of the protection of our areas that are vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the quicker response and mitigation if our frontliners are called to action,” Galvez said.
The Department of National Defense earlier said the Philippines and the US also committed to move quickly to agree on plans and investments for the new and existing locations of EDCA.
To date, the US has allocated some $82 million in infrastructure investments at the first five sites which are in Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan which is near the disputed South China Sea, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City.
The four new sites have not been not identified.
The DND also said the enhancement of EDCA facilities will be funded by the US government and will be turned over to the Philippine government after serving their purpose.
All military facilities built and will be constructed under the EDCA will be jointly operated by Filipino and American troops.
The expansion of EDCA sites also raised concerns that the US is attempting to establish permanent military bases in the country amid the tension between Washington and Beijing over the issues in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
SUPPORT
The expansion of EDCA earned the support of several senators, a move Galvez said is most welcome.
“On behalf of the Department of National Defense, I sincerely thank our lawmakers for expressing support for EDCA and the resumption of joint PH-US maritime patrols. In separate interviews after my recent meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Senators Francis Tolentino, Francis Escudero, and Sherwin Gatchalian shared their favorable sentiments on these developments in our defense and security policy,” Galvez said.
Galvez said it is the mandate of the DND to “secure and defend our sovereignty and sovereign rights such as freedom of our people to fish in our own waters.”
“We also share the vision of like-minded nations in ensuring freedom of navigation and a peaceful, stable, and free Indo-Pacific. As a member of the international community, we have a responsibility to protect the global commons in order to prevent humanity from constricting itself by ensuring that vital Sea Lines of Communications are kept open,” he said.
He said the “endeavors” the DND are taking are consistent with President Marcos’ foreign policy of “being a friend to everyone and enemy to no one.”
Galvez earlier gave the assurance that the country’s defense capability building is in accordance with the sovereign right of every nation “and in the pursuit of that right the DND has been and will remain consistent with its position” that every activity with the US and other foreign partners “must be conducted in accordance with the Philippine constitution and other national laws.”
He said EDCA is not about permanent basing of the US in the Philippines, which is not allowed by the Constitution, “but rather a collaborative agreement that will allow our allies access to training opportunities with Philippine personnel on a rotational basis” to enhance the country’s interoperability and mutual capacity building between the two countries.
“Thus, EDCA sites should not be a cause of concern for anyone since it could also spur economic investments, joint protection and preservation of maritime and natural resources,” he added.
