‘EDCA sites’

U.S. would be allowed to build its own military facilities within Philippine bases/camps (foreign bases within national bases?), provided Filipino military (and civilian?) officials would have access to such facilities.” But I pointed out, “The decade-old U.S. facility built within a Philippine base in Zamboanga City has been off-limits to Filipinos.”

At the time, then U.S. president Barack Obama was scheduled to come to Manila. With implicit certainty, the International New York Times reported that Obama was expected to announce the signing of the EDCA that would “give American ships and planes the most extensive access to (Philippine military) bases” since the two huge U.S. bases [Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base] were thrown out in 1992.

The INYT described the EDCA as “the centerpiece” of Obama’s trip which “aims to reassure America’s allies of its treaty commitments, respond to China’s growing assertiveness as a regional economic-military power and promote the U.S. role in the region’s economic growth.”

The EDCA “is a modest step to reassert America’s military presence in Asia,” the INYT emphasized, adding, “But it could nonetheless antagonize China.”

A year later (April 25, 2015), I wrote in this space, one of a number of pieces following up on the EDCA, about what then Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said in a joint press conference with the visiting Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera. Gazmin announced that the Philippines would establish basing arrangements for the American and Japanese militaries. He declared, “Under a plan to ‘roll back’ China’s aggressive actions in the SCS/ WPS, the Philippines would allow the U.S., Japan and ‘other allies’ access to the country’s military bases.” On what legal basis, he didn’t say.

Today, are we not hearing similar or closely-related proposals from defense and foreign affairs officials, as well as from members of the Senate and the House of Representatives? (Philstar.com)

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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.

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Email: satur.ocampo@gmail.com