PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday the government is not inclined to give the United States access to more Philippine military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
"The answer to that is no. The Philippines has no plan to open or to establish more EDCA bases," Marcos said in response to a question posed during a Q&A session with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.
EDCA, signed in 2014, authorizes the United States military to use designated installations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to build facilities and position their equipment, aircraft, and vessels.
The initial five EDCA sites include the 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.
In February last year, Marcos granted the US access to four more sites — Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac Island in Palawan — which allows American troops rotate through and store defense equipment and supplies.
This elicited criticism from China, which argued this would trigger more tension in the region since two of the military facilities are situated in the north near Taiwan and the other in the south near the South China Sea.
The President, however, insisted that the additional installations would not be used for any offensive action "unless there is an attack against the Philippines" and that they would be used mainly to boost the disaster response of the country as they would also be used for humanitarian and relief operations during emergencies and natural disasters.
Marcos' remarks came days after a three-way summit among the United States, Japan and the Philippines in Washington, where tensions over the disputed South China Sea — which Beijing claims almost entirely — were high on the agenda.
The Philippines is a key focus of US efforts to strengthen regional alliances due to its proximity to the waterway and self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
US President Joe Biden reiterated during last week's summit that Washington's commitment to defend its treaty ally Manila was "ironclad."
While the two countries have a complex history that has seen relations seesaw in recent years, they remain bound by the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels in the South China Sea in recent months, including collisions and Chinese ships using water cannons on Philippine vessels, injuring Filipino troops, have fueled speculation over what actions would trigger the treaty.
Top Biden administration officials have repeatedly said that "an armed attack" against Philippine public vessels, aircraft, armed forces or coast guard anywhere in the South China Sea would invoke the treaty.
Marcos said Monday that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had given him assurances that the treaty would be invoked if another "foreign power" killed a Filipino soldier.
Last year's expansion of EDCA came as the countries sought to repair ties that had been strained in recent years.
Beijing's growing assertiveness in pressing its claims to almost the entire South China Sea and over Taiwan has given fresh impetus to Washington and Manila to strengthen their partnership.
Given the proximity of the Philippines to Taiwan and its surrounding waters, the country's cooperation would be crucial in the event of a conflict with China.
Asked how a Donald Trump-led Republican administration might affect the United States's "ironclad" commitment to the Philippines, Marcos said the agreements between Manila and Washington were "beyond politics" and were almost "treaty agreements" that would have to be honored whoever was in power.
WITH AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE