MANILA, Philippines – Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday, April 18, questioned the government’s decision to grant the United States access to more military bases in northern Luzon under the Philippines-US Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

At the Senate committee on foreign relations hearing on EDCA on Wednesday, panel chair Marcos said, “I am very interested about this because the choice seems to be random and no longer purposeful with regards to the modernization of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which is at the end of the day is what we are here for.”

Department of National Defense Officer-in-Charge Carlito Galvez Jr. told her that they considered the country’s defense “vulnerabilities” in picking the additional EDCA sites, based on the instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“The instruction of the President is for us to prepare for external defense, and with that, we’re trying to allocate our resources on the northern side. If you look at the configuration of the AFP strategy, our vulnerabilities are in the north,” Galvez said.

To this, the senator said: “In the North? I don’t feel very vulnerable. Our fishermen in Cagayan and the Ilocos seas are not being harassed by anyone.”

Galvez said that if the senator would look into the country’s defense strategy, she would see that the “northern part is very very weak.”

‘Strategic to whom?’

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also questioned the location of the new sites, noting that the supposed intention was to put them in disaster prone areas.

“Sir, you mentioned earlier that it is strategic, but strategic to whom? Is it strategic for us or for the US? Gatchalian asked.

In April, four new EDCA sites were named, as the Philippines and the US seek to bolster their collective defense position and counter China’s growing aggressiveness in the region. These are:

• Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan
• Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan
• Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela
• Balabac Island in Palawan

The sites in Cagayan, Isabela, and Palawan offer greater US access to the West Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, and Taiwan. The Philippines’ northernmost, inhabited island of Itbayat in Batanes is just some 149 kilometers away from Taiwan.

The additional sites bring to nine the total number of sites under EDCA, a military deal that allows the US to preposition defense assets and construct facilities in local bases. The five existing EDCA sites are Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, 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 President earlier said the four sites were picked “to defend [the Philippines] eastern coast,” while also considering the country’s continental shelf east of Luzon. 

Asked in a chance interview if she had spoken with the President about her issues on EDCA, Senator Marcos said they have yet to discuss the matter in detail, and added that the process was still “in negotiation.”

“Hindi naman tungkol dito, in detail. Tulad ng sinabi ko, malabo pa. Process in negotiation pa. Sana ma-take up lahat nang sinabi dito sa hearing na ito,” she said.

(Not about this, in detail. Like what I’ve said, it’s still vague. This is still in the process of negotiation. I hope everything we discussed here in the Senate would be considered.)

‘EDCA sites bound my main purpose of deal’

When Senator Marcos expressed concern that the EDCA sites will become a “key stockpile of weapons for Taiwan,” Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo stressed that the Philippines will “not agree to any kind of activity or even materiel not consistent with these agreed activities, and that the use of the sites “will be guided by the main purposes” of the defense deal.

“Our view is that EDCA is not aimed at any third country outside its meant for use for the Philippines and of course in connection with our treaty with the United States,” Manalo said.

The announcement of the four new EDCA sites has alarmed China. In a statement on Friday, April 14, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian advised the Philippines to “unequivocally oppose” Taiwan’s independence, and claimed that the Philippines was “stoking the fire” by offering military bases near Taiwan Strait that can be accessed by the US under EDCA. – Rappler.com