No intention for more bases for US in Philippines: Marcos Jr.
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said today during a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines that he does not intend to allow the use of the US of more bases in the Philippines.
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Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. looks on as he meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, unseen, at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (AP)
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said today during a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines that the United States will not be permitted more access to the Philippines' military bases.
Responding to a question by AFP, Marcos said, "The answer to that is no. The Philippines has no plan to open or to establish more EDCA bases."
The forum was attended by members of the Philippine military and foreign diplomats.
Last year, Manila announced it is permitting the US military to use additional locations of four more military bases, including sites near the hotly disputed South China Sea, and another not far from Taiwan, on top of the five agreed on under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA.
This deal permits US troops to rotate through the bases and store defense equipment and supplies.
A trilateral agreement: the Philippines, the United States, and Japan
On April 12, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that the trilateral agreement involving the Philippines, the United States, and Japan would alter the dynamics in the South China Sea and the broader region. He also reassured China that the agreement was not aimed at targeting them.
"I think the trilateral agreement is extremely important," Marcos told a press conference in Washington a day after meeting US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the nations' first trilateral summit.
He said, "It is going to change the dynamic, the dynamic that we see in the region, in ASEAN in Asia, around the South China Sea," referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The three leaders conveyed "serious concerns" regarding China's alleged "dangerous and aggressive behavior" in the South China Sea, an essential route for over $3 trillion in annual maritime trade. The region is marked by various naval disputes involving China and other nations.
Marcos emphasized that the summit was "not directed against any specific country." Instead, its primary focus was to enhance economic and security ties among Manila, Washington, and Tokyo. It's significant to mention that Philippine and Chinese ships have been involved in a series of incidents over the past month, which have included the use of water cannons and tense verbal exchanges.
This came after US President Joe Biden vowed to protect the Philippines against any aggression in the South China Sea amid escalating tensions with Beijing.
