On April 10, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the four new bases that the US military has access to are to enhance the Philippines' territorial defense capabilities, not to serve any offensive actions. Mr. Marcos's statement came after China raised concerns about the US having access to four new bases, according to Bloomberg news agency.
US and Philippine soldiers during a joint military exercise in Nueva Ecija province, Philippines. Photo: AFP
“We will not allow our military bases to be used for offensive actions. The decision to allow the US access to four additional bases is to help the Philippines, in case the Philippines needs help,” Mr. Marcos said.
“What we are doing is simply to continue to strengthen the defense of our territory, the defense of the republic,” he said. The Philippine president also said the move was only to give the United States “the opportunity to come and help us in any situation.”
Also on April 10, Philippine Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo said Washington and Manila would need to discuss further what the US could do when it is allowed access to four more military bases in the Philippines, according to Reuters news agency.
“We have basically identified the locations that will allow the US access. But there will be further discussions on the rules, the type of activities that the US will be allowed to conduct. All of this has to be agreed upon,” Manalo said.
Earlier, on April 3, the Philippines announced the locations of four additional military bases that the country would allow the US military to access. Three of the locations are in the northern Philippines, including a naval base and airport in Cagayan province and a barracks in Isabela province. According to AFP, the naval base in Cagayan province is located about 400 km from Taiwan.
Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) signed in 2014, the US was granted access to five Philippine military bases. After the decision, the total number of bases the US has access to in the Philippines has increased to nine.
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