A GROUP of congressmen has filed a resolution asking the government of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to stop “stockpiling” defense equipment under a 2014 military pact between the Philippines and US.
“We cannot ignore the potential risks and implications of allowing foreign military forces to stockpile weapons and defense equipment within our territory,” Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said in a statement on Thursday.
Mr. Marcos Jr. gave the US access to four more military bases on top of five existing sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the US. He has ruled out the use of Philippine military bases to launch offensives.
Speaking at a Senate hearing in April, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo said the US could not invoke the EDCA to launch offensives against China. He added that the US could invoke the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, but this would still be subject to congressional review.
“Despite the pronouncement that his government will not participate in any offensive activities in the region, the text of EDCA would show that these pronouncements may be rejected by Washington in the event of escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific,” the congressmen said in House Resolution 1119.
Three of the four new EDCA sites are in northern Philippines — Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport, also in Cagayan; and Camp Melchor dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela.
Cagayan is about 1,000 kilometers away from self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
The congressmen cited the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report of 1998, which says that “the US military stores or prepositions, reserves of military requirement and supplies near potential conflict areas to ensure that the material would be quickly available to forces in the event of a crisis.”
They added that the continued presence of US military forces and their activities could fuel tensions in the region, citing ‘covert’ military planes in Philippine territory last week.
The US embassy in Manila on July 11 said it always coordinates with the Philippine government to get diplomatic clearance for all US government aircraft that enter the country. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz