MANILA -- The Philippine government has to give its consent if the United States also intends to use the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the Southeast Asian nation for its operations against other countries, Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo said Wednesday.

Manalo issued the statement in response to a query by Sen. Imee Marcos, chair of the chamber’s foreign relations committee, during a Senate hearing on the EDCA.

“Given the heightened state of tension in the Taiwan Strait and the new United States National Defense Authorization Act of 2023, are we to understand that the United States will be allowed to store its military assets in the EDCA sites… for the defense of Taiwan?” Marcos asked, citing a supposed provision in the said US law regarding America’s establishment of “regional contingency stockpile for Taiwan.

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As Taiwan faces growing pressure from China, which endeavors to bring the self-ruled democratic island back into its fold, by force if necessary, the legislation authorized up to $10 billion in security assistance over the next five years to modernize Taiwan's security capabilities to deter aggression by Beijing.

Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately since they split in 1949 due to a civil war.

The United States changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but has kept up unofficial relations with Taiwan while supplying the island with arms and spare parts to help it maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities.

Three of the new EDCA sites are located in northern Luzon, which is across Taiwan. These are: the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Santa Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; and Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela. A fourth one is in Balabac, Palawan.

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Manalo said that based on the provisions of EDCA, “any other activities” not specified there are subject to agreement by the parties.

He cited Paragraph 3, Article 1 of the 2014 pact, that reads: “The Parties agree that the United States may undertake the following types of activities in the territory of the Philippines in relation to its access to and use of Agreed Locations: security cooperation exercises; joint and combined training activities; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities; and such other activities as may be agreed upon by the Parties.”

“So whatever new activity that could arise would have to be subject to agreement by both parties,” Manalo said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said the Philippines will not allow its military bases to be used for any offensive attacks, after the country allowed the US to access additional facilities under the EDCA.

His sister, Sen. Imee, expressed concerns about the Philippines becoming the “key stockpile of weapons for Taiwan.”

To this, Manalo responded: “If that should ever arise, we will be guided by the main purposes of the EDCA. We would not agree to any kind of activity or even materiel not consistent with these agreed activities."

"Our view is that the EDCA is not aimed at any country. It’s meant for the use of the Philippines," he added.

Marcos further asked, “In the event of any US military activity in Taiwan, would we allow them to repair their assets and refuel in EDCA sites? Consistently, we would not, correct?”

“If guided by [provisions of] the EDCA, that would be correct,” Manalo answered.

Philippine defense officials stressed that the four new EDCA sites were chosen for the country’s own interests, after Marcos asked why all of the new sites were in Luzon.

“I am very interested about this because the choice seems to be random and no longer purposeful with regards to the modernization of the AFP,” Marcos said.

“Bakit dalawa sa iisang probinsya?” the senator asked. “There are other provinces hit by typhoons. For example, why is Samar not on the list? It's’ one of the hardest hit among provinces, tapos doble ang Cagayan.”

Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez Jr. said the president instructed them to prepare for external defense.

He added that the country’s vulnerabilities are in the north.

“With that, we are 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.

“I don’t feel very vulnerable. Our fishermen in Cagayan and the Ilocos Sea are not being harassed by anyone,” Marcos pointed out.

Galvez said the EDCA sites, which now total to nine, seek to provide total defense of the archipelago. He also said that areas in Northern Luzon were isolated during previous typhoons.

The newly identified EDCA sites are "very strategic," the Defense chief said, adding, “If we look at the selections, they are based on multi-use capabilities."

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian then asked, “Strategic for us or for the US?” Galvez said it is for the Philippines.

“We are projecting forces in the islands. We are projecting forces in the south of Palawan… We are able to strategically deploy our forces in these areas,” said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Andres Centino about the choice of Cagayan and Balabac for the new EDCA sites.

6 EDCA projects to be completed this year – Manalo

During the hearing, Manalo also gave an update on the five original EDCA sites, saying there has been significant progress in 8 of the 16 remaining projects.

Six of these projects will be completed this year, he said.

These include the runway project at the Basa Air Base in Pampanga, storage facility at the Mactan Air Base in Cebu, and the humanitarian assistance and disaster response warehouse at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Manalo also said that only 5 EDCA projects have been completed so far.

The existing EDCA sites are Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base, Fort Magsaysay, Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base, and Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro.

The alliance of the Philippines and the US is anchored on their 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.

- with report from Kyodo News

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