Philippines President says Manila will not turn into 'staging post'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 May 2023 09:57
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos warns that Philippines will not become a military "staging post", despite allowing the US four new military bases just last month.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arranges the mic before speaking at the 126th founding anniversary of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, Philippines on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP)

Ahead of a meeting with US President Joe Biden, on Monday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said his government refuses to allow the Philippines to turn into a "staging post" for military action.

Earlier this month, Manila announced that it will grant the US four additional military bases on its soil, two of which will be close to Taiwan and one will be near the South China Sea, in an effort to offset alleged Chinese "increasing assertiveness toward Taiwan."

Despite allowing the US to militarize across the nation, Marcos, en route to Washington, said, on Sunday, "We will not encourage any provocative action that will involve the Philippines by any other country," adding, "We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a staging post for any kind of military action."

Referencing an incident in which a Chinese coast guard ship cut off a Philippine patrol vessel, in the disputed South China Sea, Marcos said the April 23 incident was "a near-crash and that...can cause casualties on both sides," and stressed, "That's exactly what we want to avoid."

Moreover, Marcos urged China to follow through with the agreement to set up a "direct communication mechanism" on issues regarding the disputed waters in the South China Sea.

Accusing China of intending to breach the Philippines' rights and acquire disputed waters, Manila aligned itself with the US hoping to strengthen its defenses.

US warns Beijing of military response if China targets Philippine army

Washington warned China of a US military response in case of an attack on the Philippine army, the White House said in a statement on Saturday,

The 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, provided the US forces access to five bases in the Philippines, the number of which has now increased to nine.

The new US bases in the Philippines could house US supplies and nuclear weapons in case of a future war, and during peacetime will host American arms and hardware. The agreement has drawn criticism from Beijing, which recently claimed that it was a result of "US efforts to encircle and contain China through its military alliance with this country."

China warned in early April that Washington was "endangering regional peace" through its military expansion in the Philippines.

"Out of self-interest, the US maintains a zero-sum mentality and continues to strengthen its military deployment in the region," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said.

This month also saw the largest ever US-Philippine joint exercise where over 17,000 soldiers trained with the aim to challenge China's presence in the Asia-Pacific. The United States "must not interfere in South China Sea disputes, still less harm China's territorial sovereignty, maritime rights and interests and security interests," Beijing responded then.