‘Philippines waiting peacefully for decision on arbitration case’

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is waiting peacefully for the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the West Philippine Sea dispute, Malacañang said yesterday as it dismissed China’s pronouncement that the strengthening of relations between the Philippines and the United States shows a  “Cold War mentality.”

Beijing was reacting to the report that the two longtime allies have agreed on five locations to be covered by the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

On March 18, the Philippines and the US agreed that American troops can rotate and store military hardware in Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia airport in Cagayan de Oro and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said that the arbitration court had asked China to respond to the Philippine case but it boycotted the process. 

Quezon said this was an encouraging development, since it showed that the tribunal was rigorously working to find out everything about the issue at hand and “because of that, we’re confident and we just have to maintain the peace and wait for the outcome.” 

Senior Colonel Yang Yujun, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said the strengthening of military alliance between the Philippines and the US reflects a Cold War mentality and that it goes in the opposite direction of an era of win-win cooperation and peaceful development.