DND: EDCA sites won't threaten PH sovereignty

By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Department of National Defense insisted Sunday that the proposed four military sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) with the United States will not threaten the country's sovereignty—despite potentially drawing the country into a conflict with China over Taiwan, a US ally.

In a statement, the DND reiterated that the agreed locations for the new EDCA sites were by invi- tation of the Philippines and are by no means "unhampered" or "unimpeded."

But the Defense department remained silent over China’s military drills around Taiwan, which stretched into a second day yesterday, even as opposition lawmakers voiced concern over two of the EDCA sites being placed in Luzon near Taiwan, just 400 kilometers away to the north.

Defense analysts also claimed the US would use the sites to deter China’s advance into Taiwan.

“The new sites definitely will be