EDCA sites not for offensive actions – Marcos

Biggest ever Balikatan begins today

MANILA, Philippines — The four new sites within Philippine military bases made accessible to US forces under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) will not be used for offensive operations, President Marcos said yesterday.

The President made the remarks when asked to comment on China’s recent pronouncement that the designation of new EDCA locations would provoke tensions in the region.

“Now, China’s reaction perhaps was not surprising because they are worried. But we will not – we will not use, we will not allow, the Philippines, we will not allow our bases to be used for any offensive action. This is only to help the Philippines when the Philippines needs help,” Marcos told reporters partly in Filipino after leading the 81st Araw ng Kagitingan rites in Pilar, Bataan.

“So, if no one is attacking us, they don’t have to worry because we will not launch an offensive. What we do is we continue to strengthen the defense of our territory, the defense of the Republic,” he said.

This developed as the biggest ever iteration of the Balikatan exercises involving some 17,600 Filipino and American soldiers officially begins today. This year’s activities will include live fire exercises at sea until April 28.

The Chinese embassy in Manila earlier warned the expansion of US access to military bases in the Philippines would seriously endanger Philippine interests as well as overall regional stability.

Malacañang announced on April 3 the four new locations deemed “suitable and mutually beneficial” EDCA sites in the country.

These are the Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela and Balabac Island in Palawan.

Marcos said the new EDCA locations were selected due to their susceptibility to natural disasters.

“These are existing bases. The only difference with what we did here is that with the EDCA, we give an opportunity to our only treaty partner, which is the United States, we give them a chance to be able to come and help us in any way, especially – that really started with helping with disaster relief,” he said.

“Now, what we choose is what we see most often… hit by storms, by disasters,” the Chief Executive added.

Signed in 2014, EDCA allows US access to Philippine bases for joint training, pre-positioning of equipment and building of facilities such as runways, fuel storage and military housing. Permanent basing is prohibited.

To date, the US has allocated over $82 million for projects at the five existing EDCA locations – Basa Air Base in Pampanga, Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Lumbia Air Base in Cagayan de Oro City, Antonio Bautista Air Base in Palawan, and Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu.

The announcement of the new EDCA sites came amid growing concern over Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea and its saber-rattling directed at Taiwan.

Meanwhile, some 12,000 US troops will join this year’s joint training exercises in various sites in Northern Luzon, Palawan and Antique.

Top Philippine and US military officials lead the opening ceremonies today at Camp Aguinaldo.

“Preparations are going on for the formal opening of Balikatan Exercise 2023,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said yesterday.

He said American soldiers would be arriving in batches based on the scheduled activities that they would be joining.

“Arrival of US forces is time-phased depending on the schedule of their participation in the assigned events,” Aguilar explained.

Over a hundred participants from the Australian Defense Force will also be joining some of the events for the first time, while representatives from Japan will take part as observers.

For the first time, there will be joint littoral live fire exercises at sea – involving rockets and artillery – particularly in the waters of Zambales. The AFP will also be using its newly acquired assets, including FA-50 fighter jets. — Michael Punongbayan