Protesters call for EDCA junking

MANILA, Philippines — Militant groups have voiced outrage over the decision of the government to allow the United States access to four more military facilities in the Philippines under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two countries.

Members of different militant organizations yesterday picketed outside the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo to protest the agreement, jointly announced by Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and his visiting US counterpart Lloyd Austin III.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., in a statement, said that Filipinos “must not allow our country to be used as staging ground for any US military intervention in the region.”

“The US is engaged in provocations with China using the issue of Taiwan. Allowing US use of our facilities will drag us into this conflict which is not aligned with our national interests,” he said. He also called on the Senate to investigate the agreed locations with America.

“Remember that the EDCA was made out to be a mere executive agreement, not a treaty ratified by the Senate, and in clear contravention of Philippine Constitutional requirements. We call on the communities where these bases will be set up, to object to foreign militarization and intervention,” Reyes added.

Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) said EDCA would pave the way for the return of US bases in the country.

“While the Filipino people live in poverty and struggle to make ends meet under the worsening economic crisis, the US military will get to enjoy free use of Philippine resources,” KMU said in a statement.

It said that under EDCA, the US military would be allowed to use public facilities and given access to radio frequencies.

“Basically, we Filipino taxpayers are tasked to shoulder the costs of US intervention in our own country,” KMU pointed out.

Aside from being exempted from taxes, US military personnel are also likely to be free from any accountability considering that the agreement allows the prosecution of offenses only if both countries agree to do so.

KMU warned that EDCA could lead to more brutal crimes committed by US troops such as the murder of Jennifer Laude and the rape of “Nicole.”

Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) decried Austin’s invoking China’s growing assertiveness including against Taiwan to justify US access to more Philippine bases.

“America’s defense chief is not welcome here in the Philippines. We strongly reject the expanded military bases that he is negotiating. Akin to Chinese occupation of our territorial waters, construction of US military bases in our soil is an affront to our national sovereignty and security,” Pamalakaya national spokesperson Ronnel Arambulo said.

Pamalakaya also reiterated its opposition to the upcoming Balikatan military exercises on April 24 to 27, 2023, saying they might “escalate tensions” in the West Philippine Sea.

The biggest since the outbreak of the pandemic, the war games will involve at least 16,000 American and Filipino troops.

“Our territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea are already militarized by China; the last thing that Filipino fishers want is an expansion of US military bases at the further expense of our sovereign rights and territorial integrity,” he added.

Signed in April 2014 under the Aquino administration, the EDCA gives US troops access to designated Philippine military bases, as well as right to construct facilities, and preposition equipment, aircraft and vessels.