The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the United States and its allies in the South China Sea: The case for more bases in the Philippines
The US military will gain access to four more bases in the Philippines under an agreement announced as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Manila on Thursday.
The two allies said that work was almost finished at five bases that were covered in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
In addition to the expansion of the EDCA, the US is helping the Philippines modernize its military and has included it as a pilot country in a maritime domain awareness initiative. The two countries agreed to conduct more than 500 activities in the coming year.
It said that the new locations will allow more rapid support for humanitarian and climate- related disasters in the Philippines, without specifying what those challenges are.
The five installations previously covered under the EDCA were Cesar Basa Air Base, Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation, Lumbia Air Base, Antonio Bautista Air Base, and Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base.
Over the years China has grown increasingly aggressive toward its neighbors in the South China Sea by making what other countries say are excessive claims to territory in the crucial waterway and building military installments across the region — among other actions. Philippine officials say allowing the U.S military to use their bases will help better secure Manila’s interests in the South China Sea.
Washington has been aggressively making deals in the Indo-Pacific, including announcing just a day earlier plans to share defense technologies with India, and earlier this month plans to deploy new US Marine units to Japanese islands.
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The Marine Corps opened a new base on Guam last week, which is located east of the Philippines. One day, 5,000 Marines will call Camp Blaz their new base and it is the first new base in 70 years.
The Biden administration has stood steadfast in its support for the island as a consequence of the Taiwan Relations Act, which means Washington agrees to give the island the means to defend itself without military force.
Beijing has disavowed the tribunal ruling and continued to build up and militarily reinforce its positions in the South China Sea. The US and other countries in the region are sending their warships in violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Beijing was proven to be guilty of violating Philippine sovereignty in the South China Sea through activities such as island-building when it was found out in a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague.
In November, US Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Philippines to discuss expanded US base access with the recently elected President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. She visited the Philippines in order to convey that the Philippines is moving towards the US, reversing a trend of closer relations under the previous president.
The United States and Manila signed a mutual defense treaty in 1951 which is the oldest bilateral treaty alliance in the region.
The Philippines and the US plan on having 16,000 troops take part in the annualBalikatan exercise in the month of April.
The Philippines and the US will conduct a live fire exercise to test their weapons systems, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The Philippines remained a US territory until July 4, 1946, when Washington granted it independence – but a US military presence remained in the archipelago nation.
The country was home to two major US military bases, Clark Air Base in the 1960s and Subic Bay Naval Station in the 70s, which supported the war effort in Vietnam.
The United States will support the defence of the Philippines. Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense, said during a press conference in Manila that his alliance makes both democracies more secure and helps uphold the free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Department of Defense first announced the move, which is widely seen as a way to deter China’s influence in the region, late Wednesday amid Austin’s visit to the Philippines.
Austin flew to Manila Tuesday night and met with Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, along with other high-ranking officials.
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Analysts say the expansion is a resumption of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which aims to support combined training and exercises. The pact was initially signed in 2014 but progress has stalled over the years because of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to turn away from the U.S. in favor of Beijing.
The current Marcos government came into power last year and promised to reestablish relations with the United States.
Maritime Affairs expert Jay Batongbacal at the University of the Philippines College of Law said this latest announcement does not necessarily mean more U.S. troops on the ground, but instead “provides mainly for the United States to be able to build infrastructure on Philippines military bases and for the pre-positioning of military supplies and equipment.”
Many Filipinos don’t like the idea of the U.S. servicemen being stationed in the Philippines again. The last American military bases were dismantled in 1992 due to a disagreement between the US and the Philippines.
Liza said her group is against more military presence in the Philippines because of past and ongoing violence against women.
The case of the murdered trans woman, named Jen Laude, has become a poster child for this. Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton was initially convicted in the Philippines, but was pardoned by former President Duterte and allowed to travel back home to the United States.