The Philippine authorities remains to be finding out the attainable places for the extra Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) websites, in accordance with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Speaking to reporters on board PR 001 on Sunday, Marcos was requested if the brand new EDCA websites had already been recognized.
“Alam naman niyo pinag-aaralan natin. Malapit na ‘yan (You know that we are still studying it. It’s already coming)… I will have a command conference and we will decide once and for all and we’ll announce,” Marcos mentioned.
However, Marcos emphasised that he doesn’t need the brand new EDCA websites to trigger pressure within the South China Sea.
“Gusto natin ay mapayapa at hindi magulo at may safe passage,” Marcos defined.
(We need it to be peaceable and there must be protected passage.)
“It’s a valid concern and it’s something that we have to pay attention to, that we do not be seen as… provocative to anyone and… It will not have the opposite effect from what we want,” he added.
The Department of National Defense (DND) introduced a deal that gave American troops entry to 4 extra bases in strategic areas of the nation, with the intention of accelerating the complete implementation of the EDCA.
Signed in 2014, EDCA grants US troops entry to designated Philippine navy services; the best to assemble services; and preposition gear, plane, and vessels, however guidelines out everlasting basing.
The Philippine Constitution outlaws international navy bases within the nation except lined by a treaty.
The 5 present EDCA places 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.
Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, in the meantime, has already expressed apprehension about having an EDCA web site in his province, noting that “any foreign forces or foreign bases will always be a magnet for nuclear power attacks.” —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
